Tucumcari lab tech recieves award

R. Shane Jennings, a lab tech at the Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center in Tucumcari, recently received the Malone Farms Distinguished Staff Award.

Leonard Lauriault, superintendent and forage crop management specialist at the Tucumcari facility, stated in his nomination letter that Jennings displayed excellence in job skills and performance of those skills; showed on-the-job initiative; contributed to an effective work atmosphere; contributed to good working relationships between units at the university; sought to overcome obstacles; and other outstanding traits.

Lauriault said Jennings monitored livestock in the Tucumcari Beef Cattle Feed Efficiency Tests for illness and injury and often had to respond to emergencies, such as escapes or illnesses, “at a moment’s notice.” He also checked on cattle on the weekends and after hours when he could have spent time with his family.

“In recent years, he helped plan a redesign to expand the feed efficiency testing pens to allow more space per animal,” Lauriault wrote. “He also designed and built new gates and latches to prevent animals from inadvertently opening the gates by playing with the original latches with their mouths (they’ll lick on just about anything that dangles, like a chain dropped in slot to keep a gate shut, which is a standard latching mechanism).”

A selection committee from New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences voted on the awards.