The Ohio State University Extension’s Community Development (CD) team made a powerful impression at the 2025 National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) Conference, showcasing a range of impactful projects, research, and collaborations — and even bringing home one of the organization’s top honors.
With sessions and posters covering everything from artificial intelligence and agricultural innovation to entrepreneurship and community health, OSU Extension faculty and staff demonstrated the depth and breadth of their work across Ohio and beyond.
OSU CD Extension professionals led multiple sessions, including:
Concurrent Sessions Highlight Innovation and Engagement
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Northeast Ohio Agricultural Innovation Center, featuring Amanda Osborne, Shoshanna Inwood, Julie Wayman, Nicole Arnold, and Frank Becker, spotlighting regional food systems and economic resilience.
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Building Entrepreneurial-Friendly Communities in the Outdoor Recreation Sector, a North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) grant-funded session led by Gwynn Stewart, Ami Choi, Kyle White, Neil Linscheid, and Myra Moss.
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Artificial Intelligence Use in Extension: Insights from Ohio and Why Human Work Still Matters, where Brian Raison, Sudarshan Adhikari, and Tom Blaine explored the balance between tech tools and human connection in Extension work.
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Keeping Our Farms and Communities Safe: Protecting Against HSN1, with timely public health insights from Jackie Wilkins and T. Horn.
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Finding Local Food: How to Create a Local Food Guide in Your Community to Connect Consumers and Farmers, a practical how-to led by Julie Wayman to connect consumers with local growers.
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Entrepreneurship in Extension: Exploring the Programs and Research Being Done by Extension Staff Related to Entrepreneurship Across the Country,
Neil Linscheid, Shawn Kaskie, Maggie Conelius, Mary Emory, Andy Northrup, Lisa Taylor, Kyle White, Jason Entsminger, and Daniel Eades shared programs and research from across the country, highlighting Extension’s critical role in supporting entrepreneurs and building strong local economies.
Posters Address Diverse Community Needs
Posters presented by OSU CD team members were equally impressive. Highlights included:
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Extension’s Role in Strengthening Local Community Coalitions by Gwynn and Kenneth Stewart,
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Forest to Flavor, Jessica Burns’ deep dive into sustainable white oak management for bourbon production,
- Day by Day Memory Disco: Supporting Communities with Dementia Care Through Silent Disco Technology, a creative silent-disco-based approach to dementia support,
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Solar Panels for Consumers, an accessible primer from Kyle White to promote energy literacy.
Award-Winning Work Recognized Nationally
One of the biggest moments of the conference came when our Sea Grant Team was recognized with a national award for their project Engaging Underserved Students to Pilot Marine Debris Removal Devices — a standout example of community impact and youth empowerment. Jill Bartolotta, Abigail Comar, and Scott Hardy
The celebration continued with a major honor for Greg Davis, who was recognized by his peers for his outstanding career contributions to community development — a testament to his leadership, service, and unwavering commitment to OSU Extension’s mission.
Community, Collaboration, and Buckeye Spirit
Photos from the event captured OSU Extension faculty and staff networking, collaborating, and enjoying the full NACDEP experience. From professional development to spontaneous hallway brainstorming, Buckeyes showed up in full force — and full spirit.
Congratulations to all who represented Ohio at NACDEP 2025 — your work continues to set the standard in community development. GO BUCKS!
Showing the School Spirit…GO BUCKS!!!!
