COLLEGE STATION – The Texas High Plains Risk Management Education Team has received a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Superior Service Award in the Team category.
The team members are DeDe Jones and Jay Yates, both AgriLife Extension agricultural risk management economists in Amarillo and Lubbock, respectively.
The award was presented Jan. 8 during AgriLife Extension’s Centennial Conference in College Station.
The team’s nomination noted that Jones and Yates provide quality risk management education to the farmers and ranchers of the Texas High Plains, a major agricultural production region in the state. The pair still use the face-to-face contact that has long been the foundation of AgriLife Extension educational efforts, but also are taking a more modern approach by utilizing computers and software in their programming efforts, according to the nomination.
Their team contribution to AgriLife Extension is considerable, with an economic impact from educational efforts exceeding over $1 million annually, the nomination states.
The personal impact of the team’s efforts is summarized by Dumas producers Lee and Paula Gibson, who wrote in their support letter that: “…before we make financial and production decisions, we meet with (the team)…We personally believe they have kept us from bankruptcy and helped us create a viable business.”
The Superior Service Awards recognize AgriLife Extension faculty and staff members who provide outstanding performance in Extension education or other outstanding service to the organization and to Texans.
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