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FVSU Faculty Member Joins National Policy Board

Posted on Nov 14, 2017 at 0:00 AM

Dr. Mark Latimore Jr., Fort Valley State University's extension administrator and director of land-grant affairs, was recently re-elected to serve on the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) Policy Board of Directors Board on Agriculture Assembly. His 22017-2019 term begins this month.

APLU's Board of Agriculture Assembly Policy Board of Directors is responsible for creating a five year strategic plan that governs and guides leaderships at land-grant institutions, particularly Cooperative Extension and agricultural research. Some of the goals of the organization include identifying current and emerging challenges and opportunities, along with seeking additional resources through partnerships.

"This role will allow me to address issues that impact our 1890 Land-Grant Universities. It will also help to develop and improve policies that influence agriculture, Cooperative Extension programming and research at land-grant institutions," Latimore said.

One of the key issues discussed among the Board of Agriculture Assembly is the upcoming Farm Bill. In previous years, members of this board were influential in shaping policies within the national legislation.

"Many of the members serving on the board work closely with legislators who draft the Farm Bill, which is critical to the success of programs that are directly and indirectly effected by agriculture, such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and Cooperative Extension," Latimore said.

Additionally, Latimore said, by developing relationships with policymakers, he will have an opportunity to advocate for the needs of 1890 Land-Grant Universities from a close perspective.

FVSU, the 1890 Land-Grant University in Georgia, is one of 19 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) designated by Congress to provide research based education in the areas of agriculture and human development to underserved audiences through outreach programming.

The Cooperative Extension Program, operated at each land-grant institution, assists diverse audiences with emphasis on those who have limited social and economic resources. The goal is to improve quality of life and vitality of communities and individuals through engagement and outreach education through programs like 4-H, Master Gardener and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP).

For more information about APLU, visit http://bit.ly/2xtKEJE.

 

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