Jenna Nees receives Achievement Award from national ag agents association

National Association County Agriculture Agents President Alan Galloway (left) presents the Achievement Award to Jenna Nees. Assisting with the award presentation is Bill Viar of American Income Life, sponsor of the award.

Courtesy photo

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Immediately following the Putnam County Fair, one of Putnam County’s Extension educators found herself needing to pack for a work-related trip while her colleagues were likely recovering from the madness of the previous week.

However, the trip also provided some major recognition for Putnam County Ag and Natural Resources Educator Jenna Nees, as she was recognized as a recipient of the 2018 Achievement Award from the National Association of County Agriculture Agents (NACAA).

The award is given to agents with 10 years or less of service in Cooperative Extension who have exhibited excellence in the field of Extension education. Just two educators from Indiana receive the award each year.

“I was nominated by my fellow educators and selected,” Nees said. “It was a nice honor to know that recognized my hard work over the last almost nine years. It will be nine years at the end of the week.”

A graduate of Purdue University with a degree in agriculture economics, Nees spent the first several years of her career split between Clay and Owen counties before returning to her native Putnam County in February 2015.

Nees is a Cloverdale High School graduate and still resides in the Cloverdale area.

Her Extension efforts include multiple programs addressing the various needs of grain and livestock farmers.

“Jenna is a respected educator that is always looking for innovative ways to serve her clientele,” the NACAA noted in a news release.

Nees coordinates an active Master Gardener group as well as serving on the Women in Agriculture Team, Succession Planning Team and the Land Lease Team.

Through a partnership between the Putnam County Extension Office and Soil and Water Conservation District, Nees has also fulfilled educational duties of the SWCD since late 2016.

“Jenna is super-detailed and very professional,” Putnam County Extension Director Mark Evans noted. “She reaches out across the board. Ag and natural resources is a pretty broad area. There are people with some different interests in those areas and she does a good job of bringing them together.”

The award was presented during the NACAA Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference in Chattanooga, Tenn., on July 29 through Aug. 2.

“It was a nice trip, just a little nerve-wracking because it was right after fair ended,” Nees said with a laugh. “I was home one day before I left.”