Willie Lantz Receives Recognition at 2009 National Meeting

The National Association of County Agriculture Agents held their Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference at the Oregon Conference Center in Portland, Oregon on September 20-23, 2009.

Among the Achievement Award winners was Willie Lantz, Extension Educator from the Garrett County office of the University of Maryland Extension. The purpose of the Achievement Award Program is to encourage and recognize excellence in the field of professional Extension for members with less than ten years of service.  Willie received a plaque and pin at the annual Achievement Awards breakfast. He was also accepted to present two presentations for the Professional Improvement Council Seminars at the conference.  The title of the presentations were "Fostering Civic Engagement Through the Western Maryland Rural Leadership Academy" and "Blossom Removal in Annual Plug Planted Day Neutral Strawberry Plants."

A poster created by Derrick Bender, Jennifer Bentlejewski, Lacy Ashby, Ann Sherrard and Willie Lantz was submitted in the Extension Education Program division.  The poster received a National Finalist Award.  The same group of educators also submitted a brochure that was developed to promote the Western Maryland Rural Leadership Academy in the Communication Award category of Promotional Piece and received a Regional Finalist Award for the brochure.