34 year veteran retires from the Mississippi State University Extension Service

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A legend in Mississippi agriculture is retiring.

Dr. Dennis Reginelli is an Agronomic Regional Extension Specialist for Mississippi State University Extension Service.

He has been serving the ag community in the east central portion of the state for nearly 40 years.

Reginelli covers 10 counties, and is well-known to farmers, business people, and area residents alike.

Although he is retiring from his role as an Extension Specialist, he’s not done working.

A new chapter begins next month.

The work will still be ag related, but his day to day activities will be different than what he’s been doing.

Dr. Dennis Reginelli knows agriculture.

He’s worn several hats in the Extension Service for nearly 35 years.

Most of those years, he’s worked in Noxubee County.

“I believe I’ve been on every farm in the county. I know every road in the county and I pretty much know all of the homeowners in the county also, because when you are a county agent, they call on you and I was fortunate to have good people in the county to work with. People that really cared about their gardens, or their farms, or their pastures, or their forestry, or cattle.”

Reginelli started his career in 1985 in Pontotoc.

He moved on to Noxubee County in 1991, as an extension agent.

He became a regional specialist in 2002.

“Noxubee County is a county that many people look up to. Some people will say let’s look at Noxubee County from a corn, cotton, soybean production because we are successful. We have outstanding growers. We have outstanding yields and we have a top-quality producers, so we are looked at as a favorite in the state.”

Helping farmers find solutions to problems and make the best decisions is what Reginelli knows best.

“What is the economic impact? Can I save some money here? Do I really need to do it? What is going to be the impact? So many times, it is a dollar figure that you impact them with. Can I change their variety selection, or can I change some of their management practices?”

MSU Extension Agent Crayton Coleman says Reginelli has been a mentor to him and other agents across the entire state, and he will miss working with him.

“It has been great to see our farmers adapt to practices that Dr. Reginelli recommend to help improve their quality of life here in Noxubee County and all over the state of Mississippi.”

And with Regenilli’s new job as executive director of the Mississippi Soybean Production Board, he will continue to help improve the quality of life all over the state.

“I will still stay in the soybean industry. I’m not going out totally. I will be working the entire state, but I will work from home. I will be able to set my own agenda and my own schedule, but the main thing is to move the soybean industry forward.”

A retirement ceremony will be held on Thursday for Reginelli at the Noxubee County Civic Center.