by BRAD BUCK, UF/IFAS
Brett Bultemeier has been selected as the new director of the UF/IFAS Pesticide Information Office. Bultemeier succeeds Jay Ferrell, who was appointed chair of UF’s department of agronomy.
Ferrell mentored Bultemeier as both PIO director and as his graduate supervisor. He referred to Bultemeier as a natural fit for the directorship.
“Dr. Bultemeier has been with the office for five years, and he understands the job very well,” Ferrell said. “He is also a wealth of information, and few of his peers rival his passion, knowledge of pesticide safety or ability to train stakeholders. He is a real asset to IFAS and the stakeholders within Florida.”
Based in Gainesville, the PIO provides training and testing for the estimated 70,000 certified pesticide applicators in Florida through UF/IFAS Extension offices.
At UF, Bultemeier obtained a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in agronomy with concentrations in weed science. He is a certified pesticide applicator and formerly worked in the private sector on aquatic plant management and mosquito control. Since joining the PIO in 2019, he has certified applicators and developed outreach materials to educate them about pesticide use and safety.
“I’m honored to take on the PIO’s leadership role, but the title change doesn’t feel too significant because the office has always operated as a team,” Bultemeier said. “I am excited, however, for the chance to continue to help the office evolve.”
Foremost, Bultemeier said, he hopes to hire additional personnel.
“Increasing staffing will help us expand our capacity to offer more services and become a center that the entire southeast and the rest of the country can turn to for guidance,” he said.
