Distinguished Service Award winners named

Oct 19, 2011

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce the 2011 recipients of the ANR Distinguished Service Awards, which are given biennially for outstanding contributions to the teaching, research and public service mission of the Division.

Awards were given in six areas:

  • Outstanding Extension – Walt Bentley, area IPM advisor based at Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center
  • Outstanding Research – Steve Koike, plant pathology farm advisor for Monterey and Santa Cruz counties
  • Outstanding New Academic – Jim Bethke, floriculture and nursery advisor for San Diego and Riverside counties
  • Outstanding Team – Money Talks. The Money Talks team is composed of Charles Go, workgroup chair and 4-H youth development advisor for Alameda County; Margaret Johns, nutrition, family & consumer sciences advisor for Kern County; Keith Nathaniel,  4-H youth development advisor for Los Angeles County;  Shirley Peterson, nutrition, family & consumer sciences advisor emeritus; Brenda Roche, nutrition, family & consumer sciences advisor for Los Angeles County; Karen Varcoe, consumer economics specialist based at UC Riverside; Patti Wooten-Swanson, nutrition, family & consumer sciences advisor for San Diego County
  • Outstanding Leader – Richard Enfield, county director for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties
  • Outstanding Staff – Connie Costello, program representative for consumer economics

Each of the recipients will receive $2,000 and a certificate, except for the team award recipients, who will receive individual certificates and share $5,000.

The 2011 Academic Assembly Council Distinguished Service Award committee was chaired by Rachel Surls and included Jim Bethke, Joe Grant, Scott Oneto and Becky Westerdahl. Although Bethke was on the committee making these awards, he did not participate in any part of the decision-making on the Outstanding New Academic award.

On behalf of ANR, I thank the DSA recipients for providing excellent service to the people of California and congratulate them on this well-deserved recognition.

Barbara Allen-Diaz
Vice President, Agriculture and Natural Resources


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