Lisa Gaskalla Named National Agriculture in the Classroom Executive Director

Lisa Gaskalla

Lisa Gaskalla, executive director of Florida Agriculture in the Classroom for 13 years, has been named executive director of the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO).

Gaskalla served as interim executive director of NAITCO while the organization conducted a national search to fill the position in 2016. Before that, she served as president of the organization in 2014-15, and hosted a National Agriculture in the Classroom National Conference in Florida in 2011.

“National Agriculture in the Classroom has grown to a point where it needed a full-time executive director to oversee the business of our growing organization,” said Chris Fleming, president of NAITCO and the Tennessee Agriculture in the Classroom state contact. “Lisa Gaskalla’s experience managing a successful program in Florida will serve NAITCO well.”

“I’m excited to serve such a talented group of agricultural literacy educators from around the country,” Gaskalla said. “I will strive to make NAITCO a premier K-12 agricultural literacy program for formal and informal educators interested in educating youth about the importance of agriculture at the state and national level.”

NAITCO helps K-12 teachers use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies and more by providing web-based lessons and companion resources, a national conference, a national teacher awards program and professional development opportunities for Agriculture in the Classroom state contacts. 

It is a nonprofit organization with a network of state contacts in nearly all 50 states and six territories. Information on New York's Ag in the Classroom program can be found at http://www.agclassroom.org/ny/