New Director of ISDA-DSC from Greencastle

Jerod Chew is New Director of ISDA-Division of Soil Conservation 03/31/2009
There is a new Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture-Division of Soil Conservation. Jerod Chew will begin his new position effective Monday, April 6, 2009. For more than seven years, Chew has had various roles in the Division of Soil Conservation. The last four years he has served as Assistant Director of the ISDA-DSC and has been responsible for managing the Division’s field staff and technical services.The mission of the ISDA-DSC is to provide technical, financial, and educational assistance needed to implement economically and environmentally compatible land and water stewardship decisions, practices, and technologies. The ISDA-DSC employs district support specialists and resource specialists across the state who work with local, state and federal partners to implement resource stewardship projects.Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Agriculture Becky Skillman said, “Jerod has a strong commitment to conservation. His dedication to Indiana’s soil and water resources and the partnerships that get conservation on the land will play an essential role in moving our resource stewardship initiatives forward.”Indiana Agriculture Director Anne Hazlett told HAT, “We are very excited about the background and passion that Jerod will bring to this position in conservation. We really see conservation playing an increased priority for the department in the next four years. There is a lot of opportunity and challenge right now in production agriculture in this area, and certainly Jerod’s expertise will make him well suited for this position.
Chew’s experience also includes working as an Outdoor Educator for Bradford Woods, a wildlife research assistant for Indiana State University, and in various natural resources education positions.“It is an honor and privilege to be appointed to this position,” said Chew. “I look forward to the opportunity to further serve Indiana agriculture and communities across the state in my new capacity.”Chew is a graduate of Indiana State University with a Bachelor of Science in Life Science with an Ecology emphasis. He currently lives in Greencastle with his wife Amy and sons Keaton and Landon.