ANNAPOLIS, MD  (June 18, 2024) – The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced that Loretta Collins has been appointed as the new Executive Secretary to the State Soil Conservation Committee. As the Executive Secretary, Loretta will coordinate conservation programs and activities with local soil conservation districts, federal and state agencies, and public and private agricultural and natural resource organizations.

Bringing a wealth of experience to the department, Loretta has embarked on various professional journeys that included fieldwork in conservation farming practices and archaeology, as well as public school teaching. During more than a decade of affiliation with the University of Maryland, she has researched best management practices to reduce phosphorus loss from crop fields, served as an agricultural nutrient management specialist, and coordinated agricultural stakeholder groups and scientific panels at the Chesapeake Bay Program in Annapolis.

Loretta is an alumnus of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, The George Washington University, and the University of Maryland. She received a B.A. in psychology, an M.A. in secondary education, and an M.S. in soil and watershed science, respectively.  She also maintains certifications in K-12 education and agricultural nutrient management plan writing. She is a member of the Maryland Association of Professional Soil Scientists, the Soil and Water Conservation Society, and the Soil Science Society of America.

For more information about the State Soil Conservation Committee please visit www.mda.maryland.gov

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