VALDOSTA – Lowndes County Extension has announced an addition to its team.

Dustin Thomas will serve as the 4-H educator, 4-H representatives said in a statement.

Thomas is originally from Adairsville, a small Northwestern town in Georgia, where he made a living working on his grandparent’s farm.

After moving down south for college, he received his bachelor of science in agriculture education from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in 2021.

At ABAC, he studied courses focusing on social and emotional learning, child behavior, forestry, wildlife and diversity in agriculture.

After receiving his degree, Thomas served as an AmeriCorps member part-time in Tift County and full-time in Dougherty County.

He said these experiences taught him how to manage classrooms, how to use technology to promote learning and how to use hands-on activities to encourage learning and retention.

Thomas said he looks forward to working with Lowndes where he can continue to make a positive impact in the lives of young men and women in the community through 4-H.