Dr. Nicole Casuso was recently named the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry’s 2021 Employee of the Year! Graduating from the UF Doctor of Plant Medicine program in May of 2017, she began working at FDACS-DPI in April of 2019. As a Biological Scientist IV, she additionally serves as Co-Chair of the Permitting Unit and as a Containment Officer for the Florida Biological Control Laboratory quarantine facility in Gainesville, FL.
The Permitting Unit at FDACS-DPI is responsible for reviewing and issuing various state permits for individuals wishing to move, possess, or work with regulated organisms and related articles in Florida, such as plant pests and pathogens, soil, noxious weeds, native, endangered and commercially exploited species, aquatic plants, citrus stock, hemp, and more. This unit also provides comment on several permits issued by USDA-APHIS-PPQ.
Processing thousands of permits each year, Dr. Casuso and her fellow colleagues are continuing to expand on the goals of increasing awareness of state permit requirements, maintaining compliance with state and federal permit conditions, and overall contributing to the DPI mission by protecting Florida’s plant and apiary industries.
Congratulations again to Dr. Nicole Casuso!
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