UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jesse Darlington Jr., a facilities coordinator in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has been named interim manager of the University's Ag Progress Days exposition.
Darlington, who has been involved in Ag Progress Days for 20 years and has been site manager for the past 16 years, replaces longtime show manager Robert Oberheim, who will retire Dec. 31. A graduate of the college with a bachelor's degree in agribusiness management, Darlington said he is pleased to continue working with the show's hundreds of exhibitors.
"I look forward to continuing to serve the ag industry in the state and region, and I look forward to showcasing the College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State Extension," he said. "I have worked with many great people at Ag Progress Days over the years."
Held annually in August since 1969, Ag Progress Days attracts as many as 50,000 attendees to the 55-acre show site amid Penn State's sprawling Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, located 9 miles southwest of the University Park campus. The three-day event showcases the latest in agricultural research, technology and equipment, while dispensing educational information on production agriculture, foods and nutrition, alternative energy, home gardening and other topics in an entertaining extravaganza.
"Ag Progress Days continues to be among the most important outreach efforts conducted by the College of Agricultural Sciences, and Jesse Darlington will be a tremendous steward for the event," said Barbara Christ, senior associate dean. "His long experience working with faculty, staff, commercial exhibitors and visitors at the show will enable him to skillfully guide it into the future."
For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days website at http://agsci.psu.edu/apd.