UMaine’s Bassano, McConnon Receive National Award
Contact: Jim McConnon, 581-3165
ORONO – Louis Bassano, Extension professor with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Washington County, and James McConnon, Extension specialist and professor of economics at the University of Maine in Orono, recently received the 2008 national team award for Excellence in Community Development Programming from the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP).
The award recognizes outstanding community economic development programs in the United States. NACDEP is a national organization dedicated to improving the visibility, coordination, professional status and resource base of community and economic development Extension programs and professionals within the land grant system.
McConnon and Bassano were recognized for their work developing the Washington County Business Conference and Marketplace, conducting applied research to document impact, publishing the results in a peer reviewed journal, and providing the leadership needed to expand the community-based entrepreneurship model throughout Maine.
According to the NACDEP, “the Washington County Business Conference and Marketplace, a highly successful collaboration, organized by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in cooperation with business-support organizations and business owners, has contributed to business success in Down East Maine and served as the model for the Governor’s Regional Conferences on Small Business & Entrepreneurship in Maine.”
The award was presented at the NACDEP conference, held in conjunction with the Joint Council of Extension Professionals Galaxy III conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.