Student News
Sarah Meier
 Sarah Meier, a fourth year agribusiness major from Pickerington, Ohio, is a member of the UGA women’s varsity equestrian team. The team has won the national championship two times and Southern Equestrian Championship (SEC) three times, with Sarah posting the highest score (89.5) in the April 9, 2006 event. For two years, she was selected as Most Valuable Player (MVP).
With vast experience and success in the western equestrian discipline, Sarah represented UGA at the 2005 NRHA Derby and was Reserve champion in the intercollegiate division. She competed in Reining eight times during the regular season, with an average scoring margin of 6.37 and placed second in her class at the VEC meet in Santa Fe where the top scoring margin was a 15.5 point victory versus Auburn. In the 2003-2004 season, she represented UGA in Reining at the 2004 NRHA Collegiate Reining Championship where she placed ninth in her class. Winning in her Reining class at the 2004 Varsity Equestrian, she placed first in her class and first overall in Reining at the 2004 Southern Equestrian Championships. Sarah averaged 20 points higher than her opponent in regular season dual meets against SEC schools through 2003-2004, and competed once for the Bulldogs in Horsemanship during the regular season. During the 2002-2003 season, she represented UGA at the 2003 NRHA Collegiate Reining Championship placing fifth. She was one of only 12 riders in the nation to qualify for this competition. Taking first place in Reining at the 2003 Southern Equestrian Championships, she placed second in her Reining class at the 2003 Varsity Equestrian Championships to help lead Georgia to its first national title. She won first place in Reining and was named High Point Rider at Georgia’s IHSA Show in November 2002, and she accomplished both feats at the Judson College IHSA Show.
In 2000, Sarah ranked third in the nation for Youth Reining by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and was a finalist in the AQHA Youth World Show in 2001. In addition, she was a competing finalist in the National Reining Horse Association Limited and International Non-Pro Derby.
In addition to her equestrian activities, Sarah was active in 4-H for eight years, and at various times, she served as treasurer, vice-president and president of her club.
After graduating in the Spring of 2006, Sarah hopes to obtain a position in which she will be able to utilize the skills she has acquired in college. A position which would incorporate her “passion” for riding horses with those acquired skills would be an added bonus for this highly talented athlete.
Alumni News
Laci J. Banks
 Laci Banks is an Agricultural Statistician for the United States Department of Agriculture-National Agricultural Statistical Service in the Oregon Field Office. She is responsible for planning and conducting agricultural surveys and preparing estimates, forecasts and reports for commodities or items which are of major importance within the overall agricultural production and economy of Oregon. More specifically, she prepares estimates for hay acreage, production, yield and prices; milk production, number of milk cows and prices; and the number of goats by type. She also conducts several agricultural surveys for the state of Oregon.
One of Laci’s greatest honors since graduating from UGA occurred only two months after accepting her current position. She was entrusted with the task of writing an SAS program to edit, summarize, and produce means and distributions of the data for the Oregon Wheat Grower’s Opinion Survey. While writing the program was not a problem for Laci, understanding code data and the layout of the survey was a challenge for her. She had to do extensive research on SAS procedures before she could even begin to write the program. After two months of writing programs and summarizing data, she had a finished product for the Oregon Wheat Commission and the Oregon Wheat Grower’s League. This project tested Laci’s analytical and technical skills, but it also enhanced them. She was honored in March 2006 for initiative and self-motivation in developing a reporter manual for the Crop Weather Report, which is released every Monday from April through November. The report may be viewed at http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/State_Crop_Progress_and_Condition/current/.
Laci’s greatest accomplishment since college graduation was being selected to serve on the Agricultural Statistics Board in Washington, D. C. in January 2006. This board determined the official national crop estimates (acreage, production, yield) for 2005.
Laci received a B.S. in agribusiness management from Alcorn State University in 2002 and an M.S. in agricultural economics from UGA in 2004. She was a Graduate and Professional Scholar while in college. Actions taken by Laci during her college years have helped to advance her professional career. She stood firm in believing in herself and did not conform to what others thought she should be. Laci believes it is very important to know “who you are, and be confident in being you.” Also, she concentrated on enhancing her weaknesses one at a time throughout her college career until her strengths far outnumbered her weaknesses.
Laci offers the following advice for current students in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics: “Do your personal best without compromising your character. You will be respected so much more in the end. Then, if there is something you don’t know, don’t be full of pride – ask for help. And always listen to your major professor. The knowledge and basic principles (work ethic, discipline, etc.) he/she will share with you are priceless. Those principles will aid you far beyond UGA, and without a doubt, they will help you during the first years of your career.” Laci will always cherish her memories of UGA and the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. She states, “I am truly grateful to have had Dr. Lewell Gunter as a major professor. He taught me so much more than how to complete a thesis. Lessons learned from Dr. Gunter have helped me excel in my position with the National Agricultural Statistics Service.”
In her leisure time, Laci “loves” trying out new restaurants with friends. She enjoys attending church and church-related activities, and she enjoys reading good books.
Senator Harold J. Ragan, Sr.
 Senator Harold J. Ragan, Sr., now retired, has been able to use his diverse talents in three unique and distinctive careers. He served as a Georgia State Senator for 16 years, and for 10 years, he was chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. For 36 years, he was a successful vocational agricultural teacher and was recognized with the Georgia Vocational Agricultural Teacher of the Year Award, the Honorary American Farmer Degree, the Honorary Georgia Young Farmer Award and Honorary Membership in AGHON. He was inducted as a charter member into the Georgia Agricultural Education Hall of Fame. For 28 years, Senator Ragan served in the United States Air Force Reserves, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Senator Ragan received a B.S. in 1950 and a masters in 1957 in agricultural education, both from the University of Georgia. He became a six-year specialist in agricultural education in 1970. Having been introduced to agricultural economics in Ag Econ 301 under Dr. Frank King, he received “very good support for his vocational teaching career from excellent people such as John McKissick and Department Head Steve Brannen.” During college, he was a member of Georgia FFA and graduated Phi Kappa Phi. He attributes his success in his professional career to his willingness to apply himself to his studies during his college career.
The following is some advice Senator Ragan would like to share with current departmental students: “Let the main ‘thang’ be the main ‘thang.’ Get your studies. Look for campus activities which will enhance your career goals. Join and participate in the Agricultural and Environmental Economics Club.” The senator is a “stickler for professionalism.” He advocates the idea that each person should “believe strongly in something good.”
Now that Senator Ragan is retired, he spends a good portion of his time gardening, growing pecans, managing fish ponds, and participating in church activities, the rotary club, the Masons and Shriners.
Senator Ragan’s two sons both received B.S.A. degrees in agricultural economics from UGA – Harold Ragan, Jr. in 1980 and Thomas Ragan in 1983.
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