TDA Extends Outreach and Coordination of Services

NASHVILLE – With a focus on improving customer service and increasing outreach, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture is extending the role of the public affairs office.

Commissioner of Agriculture Julius Johnson has appointed three regional public affairs coordinators. “Our goal is to better serve our stakeholders and the citizens of Tennessee,” Johnson said. “We have a diverse agency with a broad mission. These individuals will be charged with advancing coordination of services and responsiveness.”

The extension of public affairs is being implemented through the realignment of existing resources and without new dollars. The regional coordinators will serve as the primary point of contact for the public and facilitate outreach activities in each respective grand division of the state. They are tasked with building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders and community leaders, representing the department at a multitude of events and activities, and promoting the programs and services offered by the Department of Agriculture.

Louis Buck will serve as the regional coordinator in East Tennessee, and he is a proven advocate for the department. A former deputy commissioner of Agriculture in the Sundquist administration, Buck was responsible for daily management of the department and nearly 1,000 employees. He has extensive experience on the federal level too, having worked as state executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency and as a director for the Department of Defense’s task force for business and stability operations. With a family background in farming, and education and career in engineering, Buck will continue to lead the department’s efforts to advance the Governor’s Rural Challenge and entrepreneurial development activities. Buck and his wife, Janet, live in Powell and have two daughters, Katie and Emily.

Boyd Barker will serve as the regional coordinator in Middle Tennessee. Barker joined the department in 1995 and during his tenure has served as the director of the division of Plant Industries, director of special projects, and worked in the Water Resources section. In addition to his new responsibilities, Barker will continue in his role as administrator of the Tennessee Boll Weevil Eradication Program. That program has seen tremendous success as cotton yields have increased, pesticide use decreased and Tennessee is currently in its eighth year of weevil-free cotton production. Barker lives on the family farm in Readyville with his wife of 32 years, Gayle. The couple has two sons, James and Steven.

Colleen Coury joins the Department of Agriculture staff as the regional coordinator in West Tennessee. Coury has more than twenty years of experience in equine sports marketing, corporate relations and destination marketing. Most recently she directed corporate relations at Bethel University. Prior to that, Coury worked for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. She grew up on a family farm in Pennsylvania, and her passion for horses and agriculture endures today. Coury and her husband, Joe, and son, Clay, reside on their farm in West Tennessee.  

“Louis, Boyd and Colleen each bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their coordinator position.” Johnson said. “Their skills and contributions will enhance our commitment to deliver quality service to the public.”

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture protects the health and welfare of citizens through food safety and other consumer protection programs, conserves and enhances soil, water and forest resources, and supports rural economic development.