Joe Lucente, Ohio State University Sea Grant Extension Educator, has been honored with the 2009 Great Lakes Sea Grant Network (GLSGN) Mid-Career Award from the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Program. He competed with Sea Grant Extension Agents from all seven other Great Lakes programs and was selected to receive the award through a competitive peer-reviewed application process that recognizes outstanding service to the GLSGN.

"It's an honor to be recognized for my accomplishments by my peers from throughout the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network," Lucente says.

Lucente has served as an Extension Educator in Community and Economic Development in the Ohio State's Lucas County Extension Office since 2001. Lucente's accomplishments have included: the Local Government Leadership Academy, which has been adapted by 10 university extension programs across the country; serving on the Ohio Lake Erie Commission's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Balanced Growth; and collaborating with Ohio Sea Grant Extension Educator Dave Kelch to create www.ohioshipwrecks.org, which has received two Extension awards. He has also received 12 awards from university, community, and economic development organizations recognizing excellent program development, scholarly presentations, and innovative new teaching tools.

"Joe is very deserving of this award because he has been extremely successful in developing and completing high quality projects and programs that make a big difference," says Dr. Jeff Reutter, Director of Ohio Sea Grant. "As examples, his Leadership Academy and his work on shipwrecks are clearly improving management decisions in Ohio and enhancing tourism and the coastal economy."