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Dr. Mark Latimore Jr., elected to serve as member of the Policy Board of Directors Board of Agriculture Assembly
Posted on Oct 27, 2017
Dr. Mark Latimore Jr., Fort Valley State University’s Extension administrator and director of land-grant affairs.
Dr. Mark Latimore Jr., Fort Valley State University’s Extension administrator and director of land-grant affairs, was recently re-elected to serve on a national board that influences policy and funding for land-grant institutions and the clients they serve.
Following the election, the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) Policy Board of Directors Board on Agriculture Assembly named Latimore to serve on the board from 2017-2019. He begins his term in November.
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 by the Board of Agriculture Assembly is the upcoming Farm Bill. In previous years, members of this board were influential in shaping policies within the Farm Bill.
“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 affected 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.
“I’m very excited to be in this role,” Latimore said.
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 an 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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