Four Colorado State University agriculture leaders are being honored by the Denver Business Journal as being accomplished movers and shakers within the industry.

CSU Professor Jessica Davis, Western Regional Extension Director C.J. Mucklow, Interim Dean of CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences James Pritchett and Associate Vice President for Engagement and Extension Ashley Stokes are among the Who’s Who in Agriculture honorees for 2020.

The DBJ Who’s Who in Agriculture report recognizes leaders in the industry that put food on our plates and produce billions in economic impact. Honorees run the gamut from working the fields to the courtrooms to the state’s classrooms.

Making an impact in Colorado agriculture

CSU’s four industry leaders make up 10% of the 40 being honored in the 2020 class of Who’s Who in Agriculture.

“It speaks volumes about the brilliant people we have here at CSU to have four people who represent CSU recognized among those making an impact in Colorado agriculture,” President Joyce McConnell said. “Our talented professors and researchers have a direct and positive impact on Colorado’s economy through their insights and innovations. This is a well-deserved recognition of the contributions of our faculty and staff.”

Nominees were accepted from any field that impacts Colorado’s food economy, including (but not limited to) crop production, livestock production, water, education, biotech, agribusiness and food/nutrition.

This is the DBJ’s second Who’s Who in Agriculture program. Honorees will be celebrated at a Sept. 6 reception at The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa. Buy tickets to the event here.

DBJ agriculture reporter Greg Avery will lead a dialogue with three of the region’s industry leaders at the event: Colorado Farm Bureau Vice President Carlyle Currier, Dean Pritchett and Danone North America Senior Director of Public Benefit and Sustainable Development Deanna Bratter.

CSU’s honorees

Jessica Davis

As department head, Davis is responsible for all strategic, operational, financial and human resource activities of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, and serves as a contributing member of the leadership team for the College of Agricultural Sciences. Her research focuses on the development of fertilizers and soil fertility management approaches that optimize plant and human nutrition while protecting environmental quality. Nitrogen fertilizer is estimated to contribute about two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions attributed to crop production. But without fertilizers, crop yields would be halved, a loss that humanity cannot afford. She has been working toward the development of fertilizers that can be produced locally, moving toward truly local agriculture and the avoidance of fossil fuel usage during shipping. Her current research is focused on tree fruit and vegetable production systems.

C.J. Mucklow

Mucklow has spent his entire career of over 30 years with Colorado State University Extension. He has worked as a 4-H agent, agriculture agent, county director and for the last decade as the Regional Director for Extension in Western Colorado. He has a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and a master of agriculture, both from Colorado State University. He is also an alumnus of the Colorado Ag Leadership program. Mucklow has served on several nonprofit boards and is frequently asked to participate in a broad range of community development projects. His passion for rural communities and the viability of agriculture throughout Colorado is apparent in all aspects of his work.

James Pritchett

Pritchett’s passion is serving Colorado agriculture with CSU’s land-grant mission as a guide. He currently leads as the interim dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and the interim director of the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station. On a day-to-day basis, Pritchett catalyzes strategic planning and analysis for CAS and directs administration and operations for research, learning and engagement activities. He is a land-grant economist who enjoys working in a wide range of teaching, research and engagement activities, including agribusiness management, water resource economics, community development and interdisciplinary land management strategies. Originally from southeastern Colorado, Pritchett is a two-time alumnus of CSU, and he received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in Agriculture and Applied Economics.

Ashley Stokes

Stokes is associate vice president for Engagement and Extension. Her responsibilities include food and agriculture systems initiatives, fostering applied scholarship opportunities and developing strategies for a university-based extension that broaden and deepen engagement across CSU’s eight colleges. Stokes received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and her D.V.M./Ph.D. from Louisiana State University, where she was on the faculty at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. Prior to joining CSU in 2015, she spent six years at the University of Hawaii, where she was the sole veterinary extension specialist serving the state as well as neighboring countries throughout the Pacific. From 2014 to 2015, she served CSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences as assistant dean for veterinary admissions and student services. She has written numerous journal articles and book chapters, has been an invited speaker internationally on livestock transportation, and serves on national committees regarding animal health and welfare.