State conservationist tabbed

Indiana has a new state conservationist.

Jerry Raynor will oversee 80 local service centers, four area offices and eight conservation delivery teams across the state, and more than 200 employees who work directly with farmers and landowners, according to an Indiana State Department of Agriculture news release.

The North Carolina native has spent a majority of his 26-year career as part of the conservation partnership there. He worked for Johnston County Soil and Water Conservation District and the North Carolina State Department of Environment. In 2012, Raynor was selected to serve as the state resource conservationist and acting director National Plant Materials Center in Maryland. In 2013, he returned to North Carolina as assistant state conservationist for operations, later transitioning to assistant state conservationist for management and strategy. Most recently Raynor was the acting state conservationist in Idaho.

Raynor was raised on a farm in Sampson County, North Carolina. After high school, he attended North Carolina State University and earned a degree in agriculture business management.