TSU-UT Agents Represented Tennessee as Poster or Session Presenters
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Six University of Tennessee Extension agriculture agents and specialists received awards recognizing their career achievements at the 2025 National Association for County Agricultural Agents annual meeting and professional improvement conference.
Shannon DeWitt, UT Extension Union County director; Blake Ramsey, UT-TSU Extension Hawkins County director; and Celeste Scott, horticulture specialist based at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson, received the Distinguished Service Award for their dedication to agriculture and for carrying out the mission of UT Extension. The award honors agents and specialists with 10 or more years of service.
Ryan Brown from UT-TSU Extension Jefferson County, Amy Dunlap from UT-TSU Extension Davidson County, and Haley Treadway from UT-TSU Extension Hamilton County received the Achievement Award, which honors excellence in early career professionals. Treadway, Dunlap, Anna Duncan, Natalie Bumgarner and Madison O’Ferrall received a national award for their urban food learning module created for Tennessee Extension Master Gardeners.
Four projects, publications and presentations were named national finalists:
- Rachel Painter, farm management Extension specialist, and team: Computer Generated Presentation
- Alaina Boyd and Megan Bruch Leffew from the Center for Profitable Agriculture: Publication
- Natalie Bumgarner, associate professor and residential and consumer horticulture Extension specialist, and team: Search for Excellence in Consumer and Commercial Horticulture
- Justin Stefanski, UT-TSU Rutherford County agent, and team: National Finalist for Website/Online Content
Agents and specialists also presented posters and gave presentations:
- Celeste Scott: Poster, Extension Education
- Sarah Orr, UT-TSU Extension Cocke County director: Poster, Extension Education
- Jessica Smith, UT Extension Roane County director: Poster, Extension Education
- Anna Duncan, digital certification and training program coordinator, and Celeste Scott: Presentation, Horticulture and Turfgrass
- Terrell Davis, UT-TSU Extension Dyer County director: Presentation, Leadership and Administrative Skills
- Rachel Painter: Presentation, Agricultural Economics and Community Development
- Tracey Sullivan, program leader in the Western Region office, and team: Presentation, Early Career Development
- Jason de Koff, TSU program leader and associate professor: Presentation, Early Career Development
For more information about award winners and presenters and a full list of regional and state winners, visit the National Association for County Agricultural Agents website nacaa.com/award-winners and select Tennessee from the drop-down menu.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.