UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State Cooperative Extension has named two longtime extension educators as county extension directors in Lancaster and York counties.

Leon Ressler, an extension agent specializing in agricultural and environmental issues, will become county extension director in Lancaster County, effective Feb. 1.

Ressler will replace John Schwartz, who will assume the same position in York County, effective March 1. Roxanne Price, York County extension director for the last eight years, will step down to devote more time to extension education programs in youth development and 4-H.

The appointments were announced by Michelle Rodgers, regional director for Penn State Cooperative Extension's seven-county Capital Region.

Ressler joined Penn State Cooperative Extension in 1987 as a project associate in Lancaster County, where he conducted nutrient management educational programs for farmers. His programs have expanded to include a wide range of environmental and water quality issues, including composting of manure and proper disposal of other farm wastes, such as plastics. He was instrumental in forming a manure-marketing network, which matches farmers who have excess manure with those who need manure for use as fertilizer.

Ressler also has collaborated with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to organize tours of the bay for farmers, whose activities can affect water quality. The tours, which include boat rides with commercial oyster dredging operations, have helped to promote understanding and cooperation between the agricultural community and those whose livelihoods depend on a healthy Chesapeake Bay.

Ressler received his bachelor's degree in agronomy and plant science from Penn State and his master's in environmental pollution control from Penn State Harrisburg.

Schwartz began his extension career in 1970 as a 4-H agent in Chester County. From 1975 to 1982, he served as agriculture agent in Adams County, with program responsibility for poultry, farm management, agronomy, marketing and animal science. He was an eight-county regional farm management agent from 1982 to 1983.

After serving as a graduate research assistant and extension poultry specialist at Colorado State University, Schwartz worked in agribusiness for a year in Colorado before spending two years on the faculty at Clemson University. He returned to Penn State Cooperative Extension in 1988 to conduct educational programs in commercial poultry production in Lancaster, Lebanon, York and Adams counties. He became Lancaster County extension director in 1991.

Schwartz earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in agricultural education from Penn State and his doctorate in animal science from Colorado State University.

Penn State Cooperative Extension is a nonformal, community-based educational resource, funded cooperatively by state and county governments and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Each year, more than 2 million people participate in Penn State Cooperative Extension programs in agriculture; natural resources and environmental management; 4-H/youth development; community resources and economic development; family development and resource management; leadership and volunteer development; and nutrition, diet and health.

To learn more, contact the Lancaster County extension office at (717) 394-6851 or the York County office at (717) 840-7408; or visit the World Wide Web at http://www.extension.psu.edu for program information and links to county sites

###

EDITORS: Contact Michelle Rodgers at (717) 948-6326; Leon Ressler at (717) 394-6851; and John Schwartz at (717) 840-7408 (after March 1).

Contacts: Chuck Gill cdg5@psu.edu 814-863-2713 814-865-1068 fax