Timothy Kelsey, professor of agricultural economics, has been named state program leader for economic and community development with Penn State Cooperative Extension on a half-time basis.

As state program leader, Kelsey will provide leadership and support for the development, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of statewide educational programs focusing on all aspects of economic and community development. He will develop funding and other resources and maintain training programs for cooperative extension and other outreach initiatives. Kelsey will work closely with College of Agricultural Sciences administrators,
academic department heads, faculty, regional extension directors, and county extension educators, as well as academic and outreach educators in other colleges throughout the university.

“Tim Kelsey has made significant contributions to our understanding of the economic and public policy issues that shape Pennsylvania’s cities, suburbs, rural communities, and farms,” says Daney Jackson, director of Penn State Cooperative Extension. “His outstanding track record of translating research findings into relevant extension education programs will enable him to provide visionary leadership to community and economic development initiatives.”

Kelsey’s research focuses on how economic change, land use changes, and population growth/decline affect communities and local government finances, and on issues related to farmland preservation. He conducts extension education programs dealing with issues such as local taxes and tax reform, the provision of public services, and land-use planning.

He joined the Penn State faculty as assistant professor in 1991, was named associate professor in 1997, and attained the rank of full professor in 2002. Previously, he worked as an agricultural economist for the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health.

Kelsey received his bachelor’s degree in communications from Hope (Michigan) College, and his master’s degree and doctorate in agricultural economics from Michigan State University.

He is a member of Gamma Sigma Delta, the International Honor Society of Agriculture. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the Distinguished Extension Program–Individual Award for Professional Excellence from the American Agricultural Economics Association and the Outstanding Public Issues Education Program Award from the National Public Policy Education Committee and the Farm Foundation. Penn State Cooperative Extension, with offices in each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, transfers research-based information to individuals, families, businesses, and communities through educational programs designed to meet locally identified needs.

—Chuck Gill