Agents Need ‘People Sk
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
HOLLIDAYSBURG (Blair
Co.) On the eve of retirement,
Robert M. Hetrick still remembers
the drought of 1961-1965. The
drought the region faces now still
doesn’t stand up to those years.
‘ ‘lt was tough back then. I don’t
think I’ve seen any years as bad as
those,” said Hetrick.
But meeting face to face with
farmers, and trying to help them
through both good and bad times
during 28 years with the extension,
utilized his training as a dairy far
mer, experience as a Penn State
agent, and, most importantly, abil
ities as a ‘ ‘people person”—skills
essential to successful extension
agents, according to Hetrick.
Hetrick will be honored at a spe
cial retirement dinner on Sat, July
20, at 7 p.m. at the Memorial Park,
Martinsburg. Hetrick will be offi
cially retiring as extension director
on August 2. Those wishing to
obtain tickets for the dinner should
contact the extension at (814)
695-5541, ext. 210.
Family dairy farm
Hetrick was raised in Beaver-
Robert M. Hetrick
town, Snyder Co., and operated his
father’s 140-acre farm with 48
dairy cattle. After earning his B.S.
in ag education from Penn State in
1954, Hetrick was drafted into the
U.S. army at the end of the Korean
War. In 1956, Hetrick took over
his family’s dairy farm, until 1963
when, in the middle of the worst
drought he’s seen, he decided to
join Penn State Extension in
Lehigh Co. as assistant county
ills,’ Says Retiring Extension Director
agent In 1965, Hetrick was prom
oted to associate agent in Lehigh.
While at Lehigh Co., he provided
educational leadership for the 4-H
Club.
In 1971, Hetrick moved to Blair
County as an agent and later
became extension director.
In 1980, Hetrick was awarded
the prestigious Distinguished Ser
vice Award from the National
Association of County Agricultur
al Agents in Oklahoma City, Okla.
His work in improving milk pro
duction in local dairy herds gar
nered him the recognition. His for
age testing and feed programming
have been used as educational
tools in the county to increase herd
production.
ABS Names Shelton President
DE FOREST, WI American
Breeders Service (ABS), a unit of
W.R. Grace & Co., has named
Jack E. Shelton president and
chief executive officer effective
July 15.
Mr. Shelton, currently vice
president of Grace’s Feed Opera
tions with responsibility for Fan-
Better Feeds and Walnut Grove
Hetrick’s expertise, besides
dairy, includes agronomic crops
and fruit and vegetable production.
Through the years, he coordinated
a regional educational fruit prog
ram and worked with the six
county fruit growers association.
Toward specialization
He noted the trend toward spe
cialization for county agents. Back
then, he said, you had to be ‘ ‘jacks
of all trades, ” and noted that coun
ties today demand more speciali
zation over a multi-county region.
The staff in Blair County
includes a family living agent, 4-H
coordinator, horticulture agent,
and an urban Expanded Food
Nutrition Program agent.
Products, succeeds Dr. John J.
Sullivan who will serve in the new
position of ABS vice chairman.
“Earlier this year, Grace
announced plans to sell its Feed
Operations as part of the Com
pany’s strategy to tighten the
focus of its businesses and pay
down debt,” said Dr. Robert E.
Walton, chairman of Grace Ani
Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, July 6, 1991419
The most important element for
an agent is “working with people
one to one.” He recommends that
a college graduate who desires to
be a county agent should not only
be well-grounded in the subject
matter, but should strive “to be a
people person. Good communica
tion is essential.”
Hetrick is retiring because he
wants to spend more time with his
family. In July, he said he intends
to pursue a part-time job and
would enjoy doing more volunteer
work.
“I depended on volunteers to do
so much for extension,” he said,
“and now I’d like to pay them
back.”
mal Services, which consists ot
American Breeders Service, ABS
Specialty Genetics, Farr Better
Feeds and Walnut Grove Pro
ducts.
“With the sale of the Feed
Operations imminent, this man
agement reorganization allows us
to retain Jack Shelton’s manage
ment skills; frees John Sullivan to
focus on our increasing number of
global business development
opportunities; and completes the
restructuring of our specialty agri
culture businesses.”
Mr. Shelton, 42, will continue
to oversee the Feed Operations
until an agreement to sell the
businesses is reached. Prior to his
current responsibilities, Mr. Shel
ton spent 18 years in various posi
tions with Grace’s Agricultural
Chemicals division.
Dr. Sullivan has served as ABS
president since January, 1989,
replacing Dr. Walton. Under Dr.
Sullivan’s direction, ABS intensi
fied its business development in
the European Economic Com
munity (EEC), Eastern Europe,
the Soviet Union, Oceania and
developing countries, and
improved worldwide sales. Dr.
Sullivan will continue this effort
with specific emphasis on the
establishment of a global network
of non-U.S. ABS stud sites. Prior
to serving as ABS president. Dr
Sullivan was ABS vice president,
production.
Founded in 1941 and headquar
tered in DeForest, Wisconsin,
American Breeders Service mark
ets dairy and beef cattle semen,
providing the largest line-up of
sires and related products through
out the United States and to more
than 60 foreign countries. Smee
ABS began, more than 70 million
cows have been inseminated by
ABS.
Grace is the world’s largest spe
cialty chemicals company with
leading positions in other niche
businesses. Its 1990 sales
exceeded $6.7 billion.