The Ratledge family, Delawareans who trace their roots back to the 1700s, established the award, which reflects the family's long commitment to Delaware and UD. The award encourages and recognizes significant public service by members of the UD community to the well-being of all Delawareans. Preference is given to members of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources or the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy.
“I was extremely pleased to be chosen as a 2007 Ratledge Award recipient,” Barton said. “I feel fortunate to have worked in Delaware Cooperative Extension for the past 20-plus years. Being guided by a mission for service has been a great way for a career to evolve. It has kept me focused on emerging issues that are important to Delawareans. My job is never boring. I am constantly re-inventing what I do to address current concerns and that has kept me fresh and invigorated.”
“I'm deeply honored by my selection for the Ratledge Public Service award,” Loftus said. “I'm very pleased to be included in the company of past recipients, whom I hold in such high regard.”
Specializing in ornamental horticulture, Barton joined the UD staff in 1985. She was instrumental in founding the Delaware Master Gardener Program, in which trained volunteers provide gardening advice and promote environmentally friendly landscaping to other Delawareans.
Barton also focuses on educating homeowners and industry professionals about the problems associated with invasive plants and recommends plants to replace them and has worked with colleagues to develop the Plants for a Livable Delaware program.
She works closely with nursery and landscape industry professionals and has a national reputation as a lecturer on sustainable landscape practices and marketing strategies. She also coordinates educational meetings, edits industry newsletters and has established a certified nursery professional program.
Barton works closely with the Delaware Department of Transportation to manage environmentally sound, aesthetically pleasing and economical roadside vegetation.
Loftus came to UD in 2000 after serving Delaware public schools in different capacities, including several years as superintendent of the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District and was named Delaware Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators in 1994.
He directs UD's Delaware Academy for School Leadership, which offers a series of professional development opportunities for superintendents, principals and leadership teams in all 19 Delaware school districts.
Loftus also has worked with the Delaware Department of Education on a variety of projects--organizing conferences, writing policy briefs and reports on such topics as charter schools, teacher recruitment and retention and school governance.
He is active on the Vision 2015 Steering Committee, which focuses on designing Delaware's future educational system, and has developed the training program for district leaders to become part of the first wave of Vision 2015 schools. Keeping abreast of national trends in leadership education policy, Loftus is known for initiating and instituting positive change in Delaware public schools through his interaction with education leaders.
A graduate of East Carolina University, Loftus received his master's and doctoral degrees in education from Temple University.
Article by Sue Moncure
Photos by Duane Perry