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2024 IR-4 Holiday Message and Jerry Baron’s Retirement Announcement

Posted on December 18, 2024December 18, 2024 — Jerry Baron

Dear Friends,

Happy holidays! As this year comes to a close, I am filled with gratitude for the IR-4 community. In 2024, our team came together to implement multiple new ways of working, including the full rollout of electronic field data books—a massive team effort. We have also taken steps to reboot the Integrated Solutions and Biopesticide Regulatory Platforms. Most importantly, we continue to facilitate and secure new registrations of effective pest management products for specialty food and ornamental crops. For example, IR-4 has supported over 870 new food crop uses this year (and counting). Our field, lab, and quality assurance teams have gone the extra mile this year. Our successes are worth celebrating this holiday season!

I am looking towards the next chapter for this program—and for myself. I recently informed the Project Management Committee that I will be stepping down as Executive Director of The IR-4 Project on/about October 1, 2025. After 40 years with IR-4 and with an outstanding team in place, I am ready to do something different.

When the IR-4 Project moved from Rutgers to NC State University, I came to Raleigh to reshape the program and share the successful culture of IR-4—helping specialty crop growers with their pest management issues—with the new team members. I can proudly say that the team I hoped for has come together, from Headquarters to every Regional office and laboratory. The new team is ready to guide the program into the future while maintaining the core value of supporting farmers in growing healthy food and quality ornamental crops. IR-4 will continue to thrive, thanks to all who contribute your time and talents to furthering IR-4’s mission.

Please join me in reflecting on how much we have accomplished together and the bright future we have worked hard to secure as a team. Thank you for your efforts this year and beyond. I wish you and yours a healthy, happy holiday season!

Sincerely,
Jerry Baron
Executive Director, The IR-4 Project

View Announcement as a PDF
Posted in NewsTagged 2024, Executive Director, Holiday
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This website is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award numbers 2022-79111-38469 and 2021-34383-34848 with substantial cooperation and support from the State Agricultural Experiment Stations, USDA-ARS, USDA-APHIS, and USDA-FAS. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.

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  • About IR-4
    ▼
    • Annual Reports
    • Careers
    • Contacts
      ▼
      • Headquarters Staff
      • National Directory
      • Regional Field Coordinators
    • History
    • Mission & Vision
    • News
    • Outreach
    • Participants in the Process
  • Food Crops
    ▼
    • Biopesticide Regulatory Support Program
    • Crop Grouping
    • Integrated Solutions
    • International Programs
    • Residue and Product Performance
  • Environmental Horticulture
  • Events & Training
  • Stakeholder Resources
    ▼
    • Database: Food Crops
    • eQA/eDOCs
    • Database: Environmental Horticulture
    • Databases: Biopesticides and Organic Support
    • Glossary of Acronyms
    • Upload Files
  • Submit a Project Request