Georgia County Government - November 2008 - (Page 31)

Keith D. Mickler, Floyd County Extension Agent – ACCG Extension Fellow Keith conducts educational programming in the areas of best management practices (BMP’s), integrated pest management (IPM) and pesticide safety. He counts the programming he does with BMP’s amongst his most significant because it impacts the economic bottom line for those who make their living in commercial agriculture and it helps those producers learn to be good stewards of the environment. Keith has excelled in developing outstanding Extension Green Industry programs by addressing issues that are vital to the sustainability of the Georgia Green Industry. His work with the green industry on BMP’s and IPM decisions has received national and state recognition. Most notably, he was a recipient of the 2007 Epsilon Sigma Phi (Cooperative Extension professional association) Alpha Beta Chapter Mid-Career Award. In 2003, he received Achievement Awards from both the National and Georgia Associations of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA and GACAA, respectively). In 2001, he was recognized as a regional winner in the GACAA Young Professional Award. His development of educational programming won the first place award in the Georgia Agribusiness Council and Georgia DNR Pollution Prevention category administered by GACAA. He has delivered 26 presentations to national and multi-state audiences and more than 140 additional presentations within the state of Georgia. Keith has been called to serve in a variety of leadership positions at the national level. Currently, he represents NACAA on the Board of the Journal of Extension, a national peer-reviewed journal which serves as the official publication for Cooperative Extension across the country. He is also currently serving as the national Chairperson of the Public Relations Awards Committee for NACAA. The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has called on Keith to play numerous roles in serving both the college and Cooperative Extension. He is a member of the UGA Center for Urban Agriculture Issue Team for Landscapes and Urban Forestry, and also a member of the Georgia Green Industry (GGIA) educational planning committee. His collaborative efforts are well documented. As a past member of the Multistate (Alabama, Florida and Georgia) Horticulture Program Development Team, Mickler co-chaired the MultiState Pest Management Update and served as the webmaster for web pages devoted to Pesticide Information and Nursery Production. Regarding his selection as one of the inaugural recipients of an ACCG Fellowship, Mickler states, “I look forward to the opportunity of working with our county leaders and growing into a stronger Extension leader, and also to understanding policy development at the local level. I also look forward to helping to build an even stronger relationship between Cooperative Extension and county government.” ■ S ince 1994, Keith Mick ler has been honing his craft as a County Extension Agent in Agriculture and Natural Resources. After four years in Florida, he joined The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, first in Grady County and currently in Floyd County. In this role, he provides timely solutions to agriculture and horticultural problems for commercial and homeowner clientele. His undergraduate and master’s degrees in ornamental horticulture, combined with his 14 years of public service in the field, have helped make him become recognized as one of Georgia’s leading county agents in this area. Recently Keith has done extensive programming related to management of water quality and quantity. While acknowledging the natural crossover that exists between water use and land use, Mickler understands that policies which affect the ways we utilize our water and land resources are complex, political, and highly variable. “State and federal regulation can only go so far in dictating better land use policies and practices to improve water quality and quantity used.” He states further, “I believe that education – particularly research-based, non-advocacy, professional outreach education – is the best way to foster better land use decisions which will ultimately lead us to better decisions about water quality and quantity.” Providing Complete Municipal Services for Large & Small Communities Williams & Associates Athens, GA 30606 (706)310-0400 Engineering Consultants, Landscape Architects & Planners www.gaplanning.com 384630_Williams.indd 1 NOVEMBER 2008 www.accg.org 5/29/08 31 8:55:15 AM http://www.gaplanning.com http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - November 2008

Georgia County Government - November 2008 Contents President's Message County Matters Floyd County Leaders Foster Government That's 'Designed With Citizens in Mind' Staff News: ACCG Interns Georgia's Grand Old Courthouses: Hall County Extension News: ACCG and Extension Partner to Create 'Fellows' Program Research Corner: Resources Available Through ACCG County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - November 2008

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