NYS IPM Program Welcomes Damian Dodd

-Kim Knappenberger

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (4/7/2016) -- The NYS IPM Program, a partner in the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program (LERGP), is excited to announce the addition of Damian Dodd to the extension team as Extension Aide. Damian comes as a media specialist who will be responsible to generate video and social media content of the research conducted as part of the $6 million Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant given to Dr. Terry Bates of the LERGP at CLEREL. He is also responsible to develop and maintain a website to display that content.

Damian hails from Maryland but currently resides in Westfield, New York with his wife and daughter. He has a BS in Business from Towson University and also attended the Portfolio Center (an advertising trade school) in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the past 23 years Damian has worked as an Art and Creative Director for various advertising agencies ranging from 6,500 employees to freelancing on his own. Damian is most excited about engrossing himself in learning about viticulture and “geeking-out” regarding the technology involved, especially as pertains to the USDA SCRI grant. He looks forward to informing the public in a way that is entertaining and educational.

Damian’s role in the USDA SCRI “Efficient Vineyard” grant will be to create the interface for the transfer of research-based information developed by the research and extension teams to the public via the website and other social media, as well as keeping the information presented in a way that is interesting and keeps you coming back for more.

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is a cooperative effort between Cornell and Penn State Universities; the participating Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations of Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara and Cattaraugus Counties in New York and Erie County in Pennsylvania; and participating industry partners National Grape Cooperative (Welch’s), Constellation Brands and Walkers Fruit Basket. The LERGP extension team provides research-based educational programming for commercial grape growers throughout the year at venues across the Lake Erie grape belt. For more information on LERGP, call 716-792-2800 or visit our website at http://lergp.cce.cornell.edu/

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated April 11, 2016