Ximena del Campo Lancaster, Pennsylvania Dairy Educator Penn State Extension

What education are you bringing to this position?
I hold a dairy science degree from Virginia Tech, plus a degree in communications, and am currently working towards completing an MBA. Before moving to Pennsylvania, I lived and worked in Missoula, Montana.

During my stay at the University of Montana, I had the opportunity to work with and learn from Dr. Mohr, a renowned professor and innovator in the field of high-technology products and services. My emphasis was marketing high technology products, including SEO and social media. I am fluent in both English and Spanish.

Please describe your agricultural background.
I have been involved in the dairy industry all my life. I grew up on a dairy farm in Ecuador. I have worked in the areas of genetics and reproduction for both dairy and beef.

What territory will you cover?
I will be serving Lancaster County and also working statewide, as needed.

What are your new responsibilities?
To maximize profitability of dairy producers in Pennsylvania by applying and disseminating the latest research findings in dairy farm management. I will also focus on the educational needs of producers and stakeholders as well as maintain relationships with existing farmers, agencies and agribusiness organizations.

What previous positions have you held?
Before joining Penn State, I worked for the University of Montana in the Office of Technology Transfer as a marketing manager. There I researched, analyzed and identified commercialization opportunities for emerging and innovative technologies from the university.

Previous to that, I worked for more than seven years as an international sales manager for CRI/Genex, where I worked in international marketing, sales, artificial insemination program implementation, and introduction of new technologies including genomics and sexed semen.

What excites you most about working in your new role?
The ability to forge, educate and maintain relationships between Penn State and the industry. Being able to market the value of the excellent work that Penn State does – both toward the industry and social contributions as well.

Being the link between science and industry is particularly exciting. If we can deploy to the farms the advances made in research at the university, I would consider my job to be a success.

How will you be of most help to producers in your region or area of expertise?
I believe my unique educational background will be an asset to producers, as I have degrees both in communication and agriculture.

My key task is to understand my customers’ needs (the producers in the region) and help them achieve increases in productivity. My role specifically is to help the producers understand emerging technologies and processes and their impact on their businesses. Also, being bilingual will allow me to transfer and educate producers in any area needed.

Why did you choose this organization?
Penn State is a very prestigious and well known institution. We also have a great team at the extension center. We're passionate about serving and helping producers. I believe that trust between the producers and extension is there and is the key to a good relationship, which is a great asset to both.

What goals would you like to accomplish in this position?
My goal is to serve and educate my customers in new and emerging technologies while at the same time meeting any needs from the customers’ side. I also plan to develop and conduct bilingual comprehensive management educational programs. PD