Jamie Lucero named project director for the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture
Launched in September, the effort will help farmers and ranchers implement climate-smart practices that could significantly reduce greenhouse gases.
Jamie Lucero ’21 has been named as the project director for the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture, a record $80 million U.S. Department of Agriculture Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant received by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech that launched in September.
The Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture will help farmers and ranchers implement climate-smart practices that could significantly reduce greenhouse gasses. The three-year pilot program will be in Virginia, Arkansas, Minnesota, and North Dakota to test the feasibility of rolling out a similar program on a national scale.
Under Lucero’s leadership, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will distribute more than $57 million of the largest grant in the university’s history to producers to enact climate-friendly practices and serve as a pilot program for a national model.
“I’ve worked with Jamie on a number of projects during the past several years, and am thrilled that she will be leading the day-to-day operations of the Alliance,” said Tom Thompson, an associate dean of College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and principal investigator of the Alliance. “Her professionalism, work ethic, and drive to succeed will serve her well in this role. Jamie is always personable and will work productively with the more than 20 partner organizations who will eventually join this pilot program.”
Lucero spent the previous 17 years as the director of Alumni and Constituent Relations for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, serving as the key alumni and engagement officer for the college and Virginia Cooperative Extension. In this role, she oversaw the CALS Alumni Organization’s comprehensive programs, providing opportunities for a wide variety of constituents to connect, engage, and serve Virginia Tech, the college, Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia 4-H.
Prior to joining Virginia Tech, she was a research associate working in stem cell and xenotransplantation technologies to treat human disease through regenerative medicine at Revivicor, Inc.
“We are delighted that Jamie will be providing leadership to this major project,” said Alan Grant, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “Jamie’s past experiences in the agriculture and biotechnology industries along with her vast experiences from previous roles in the college will be extremely beneficial to this new initiative.”
“It is an honor to have the opportunity to coordinate and facilitate the university’s record grant to help farmers implement climate-smart practices that could have such a profound impact on our environment,” Lucero said. “I am inspired as I reconnect with my agricultural roots, continue my land-grant journey, and support Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech’s motto.”
Lucero grew up on a purebred Simmental cow-calf operation in southwestern Pennsylvania. She holds a B.S. in agricultural technology from the University of Central Missouri and a M.S. in animal science from Kansas State University. In 2021, she completed a M.S. in agricultural, leadership, and community education from Virginia Tech.
