Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development is committed to helping farms create exceptional workplaces staffed by engaged, productive employees. This mission is strongly supported by New York’s agricultural industry and state government partners. As a result of this support, we’re excited to welcome two talented individuals to our team this summer, significantly expanding our capacity to serve farm employers and employees across the state.
Regulatory Extension Associate: Lucas Smith, J.D.
Lucas Smith joins us as an Extension Associate with a focus on regulatory compliance with state and federal labor laws. A native of Clifton Springs in the Finger Lakes region, Lucas earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Sciences from Cornell University, concentrating in business management and policy. He recently completed his law degree at Albany Law School.
Lucas brings a wealth of relevant experience, including work on farms, a student role with Cornell Ag Workforce Development, and positions at a private law firm and the New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). In his new role, Lucas will expand our extension education and research efforts to help farm owners and employees better understand and comply with complex regulatory requirements. Our goal is to support farms in maintaining compliance while operating efficiently in today’s dynamic regulatory landscape
Organization Development Extension Associate: Kaitlyn Lutz, VMD DABVP
Dr. Kaitlyn Lutz joins the team as an Extension Associate specializing in organizational development. Most recently, Kaitlyn worked with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Northwest NY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team as a bilingual dairy educator. She also brings prior experience as a practicing veterinarian in Western New York.
In her new role, Kaitlyn will apply her communication and leadership skills to help farms address human resource challenges and optimize organizational structures. She will lead efforts to assess and enhance workplace culture, design strategic change interventions, and align leadership with production goals to drive performance. Kaitlyn will also conduct applied research to develop and refine tools for organizational development in farm settings. Her work will support farms across New York’s diverse agriculture sectors, including dairy, fruit, vegetable, grape, and greenhouse/nursery operations.
Learn more about the Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development team at our website.
By Richard Stup, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
The post Cornell Ag Workforce Development Expands Team to Support Farm Employers and Employees appeared in The Ag Workforce Journal.