20 • The Beacon August 29 , 2024
New employees join Coshocton OSU Extension Office
By Jen Jones
For The Beacon
The OSU Extension Office recently added two new employees to its team . Jennifer Bylaw is the new SNAP-Ed program coordinator , and Brett Kinzel is the new agriculture and natural resources educator .
Bylaw graduated from MATC , now Zane State , in 1997 with an Associate of Applied Science in Dietetics / Nutrition . She worked in healthcare as a clinician for 25 years in both acute and long-term care , along with food management .
“ I went back to college at OSU Newark in 2004 . However , after one year I decided it was a bit much with working full-time and having a young child ,” she said .
In her new position as the SNAP-Ed program coordinator , Bylaw will
Submitted Jennifer Bylaw is the new SNAP-Ed program coordinator .
use a standardized curriculum to teach low-income adults , youth and families about food , nutrition , food resource management and other related topics .
“ I will also be collaborating with community agencies and programs . For example , schools serving 50 % or more free and reduced meals qualify for this program . This is a grantfunded position , which is renewable by the sponsor agency and by OSU Extension ,” she said .
Bylaw said she is still traveling to Columbus for training each week . “ It has been great meeting the other SNAP-Ed folks in the other counties from across the state . I like being able to
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Alexis Zimmer – Kenneth Berry Memorial Adult Scholarship Taylor Back – Beulah Brownfield Memorial Adult Scholarship Allison Ippolito – Ruby S . Hawthorne Memorial Scholarship
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Andrea Prouty – Ruth A . Schooler Adult Education Scholarship Timothy Meyers – Harry C . Wilt Memorial EMS Education Grant help the community and be part of the wonderful team here at the extension office and the resources we have through OSU as employees ,” she said .
She has been married to her husband Javan for 14 years . Their children are Aubrie , 21 , and Kabe and Preston . The boys are both juniors at Ridgewood High School and are involved in football , track and soccer .
“ We enjoy living in the rural area outside of West Lafayette . We don ’ t have much free time with work and sporting events , but I enjoy gardening , reading and relaxing on the weekends ,” she said .
She also enjoys trying new recipes .
Kinzel recently graduated from Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Agriculture Science in Agriculture Communication and a minor in meat science . She is the agriculture and natural resource extension educator for Coshocton County .
“ Most of what I will be doing is educating through various ways within the county . Two major things I do throughout the year is pesticide recertification and beef quality assurance ,” she said .
She also is the community resource for agriculture and natural resources . “ I will assist in what the community needs and empower what our agriculture industry in Coshocton is already
Submitted
Brett Kinzel is the new agriculture and natural resources educator .
doing . I hope to bring new and exciting things to Coshocton when it comes to agriculture ,” she said .
Kinzel was in 4-H for 12 years and continues to use what she learned as a 4-H member in her adult life .
“ It taught me how to be a leader in my community and what hard work is . Although I was raised on a small farm , I continued to learn more things about the agriculture industry and even things outside of agriculture . These are skills that I will use in my new job and throughout my adult life ,” Kinzel said .
She said she is enjoying her new position at the extension office . “ I am naturally a people person , so getting to talk to all kinds of different people in and outside of Coshocton is always a joy for me . I also love the
teaching part of this job . Agriculture is something I am very passionate about , and I love the community I was raised in , so any time I get to combine the two is a great thing for me .”
Kinzel was raised in Tiverton and graduated from River View in 2020 . She was on the 2023 meats judging team , and that was where she learned about extension from a coach and meat science specialist , Dr . L . Garcia .
Kinzel has an older and a younger sister . “ My younger sister is a current member of 4-H . Through showing market hogs , she now breeds and raises her own hogs at home , so when I have free time , I ’ m usually helping her . I enjoy spending time with my family , and I love a good book ,” she said .
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