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Lake Area Technical College Receives 2017 Governor’s Ag Ambassador Award

Posted on: July 17, 2017   |   Category: News
Ag

SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

NEWS RELEASE

 

For Immediate Release: June 13, 2017

Media Contact: Jody Heemstra, 605.773.4073

 

PIERRE, S.D.- Lake Area Technical College (LATI) of Watertown has been named the 2017 Governor’s Ag Ambassador Award recipient. The recognition will take place Thursday, July 13, at the annual Governor’s Agricultural Summit in Aberdeen.

Founded in 1965 LATI, was the first technical school in South Dakota. Currently, LATI has 29 programs with over 2,000 students and over 20,000 graduates. LATI’s Agriculture Program is one of the top programs on its campus with over 300 students enrolled. Over the past decade, LATI’s Agriculture Program has added Commodity Merchandising, Precision Technology and Environmental Technology to its curriculum. Along with the added curriculum, LATI also constructed the 70,000 square foot facility Agriculture and Environment Center which provides program options such as Ranch Management, Equine Management, Swine Management, Ag Aviation and General Agriculture.

Key Achievements of the Ag Ambassador:

  • Provides visionary leadership to South Dakota’s agricultural industry.
  • Champions growth and prosperity of the state’s number one industry.
  • Advocates for agricultural practices and responsible stewardship of livestock and land; and highlights the significance of South Dakota agriculture to our global food system.
  • Influences decision makers to develop and implement sound agricultural policies.

Earlier this year, LATI won the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Every two years, the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence honors outstanding institutions selected from more than 1,000 public community colleges nationwide. The Aspen Award focuses on rigorous assessment of the institution’s achievements in four areas: learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earning, and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students.

To learn more about the Ag Ambassador Award visit http://sdda.sd.gov/office-of-the-secretary/ag-ambassador-award/default.aspx. To register for summit go to https://sdda.sd.gov/office-of-the-secretary/ag-summit/

Agriculture is a major contributor to South Dakota’s economy, generating $25.6 billion in annual economic activity and employing over 115,000 South Dakotans. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture’s mission is to promote, protect and preserve this industry for today and tomorrow. Visit SDDA online at http://sdda.sd.gov or find us on Facebook and Twitter. SD Ag Chat podcasts can be found in the Ag News section at http://sdda.sd.gov/news. You may subscribe, free of charge, through Google Play Music, iTunes or from https://sdagchat.podbean.com/.

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