Mr. Tankersley serves as UGA County Extension Coordinator in Tift County. This position is responsible for the overall administration and operation of the Tift County Extension Unit, including organizing and allocating resources, securing adequate office space and equipment, preparing and maintaining an annual county budget , maintaining administrative relationships, and interpreting and communicating policy. He plans and conducts Agricultural and Natural Resources educational programs for Tift County’s $150 million agricultural industry. He provides pro-active delivery of information in critical areas identified by needs assessments and evaluations. His primary Agricultural Program Areas includes Peanuts, Cotton, Pastures, Forages, Turf grass, Adult Livestock and Agricultural Economic Development. He also provides leadership to certain Ag related 4-H projects and programs.

Mr. Tankersley has excelled in Extension Agricultural Programming through offering issue driven programs for producers and agricultural leaders, Area Cotton Marketing Workshops, Cotton Defoliation Shade Tree Grower Meetings, County Production Meetings, and Cattlemen Association Programs. Farmer visits and applied research are examples of the candidate’s program efforts to support the agricultural clientele. His efforts with value added opportunities for producers have yielded two farmer driven cooperatives. Tifton Quality Peanut and the Georgia Alternative Energy Cooperative are examples of the nominees efforts to help farmers work together to add value and profit to the agricultural community. Since 2005, Mr. Tankersley has been at the forefront of the Bio-energy opportunities for agricultural producers. He has worked closely with our producers to research energy alternatives and he has toured Midwestern facilities to develop a better understanding of the how producers are taking advantage of bio-energy opportunities.