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Purdue Ext. Honors Outstanding Service


Published: Friday, December 27, 2019

Purdue University Extension specialists and educators from across Indiana gathered at the Purdue Memorial Union on Dec. 2-3 for the 2019 Professional Development Conference, an event that provides informative and collaborative opportunities, and a recognition ceremony for outstanding service.

Jason Henderson, senior associate dean and director of Purdue Extension, expressed gratitude for the collective work and service from all Extension staff and faculty, in addition to recognizing several individuals for their significant achievements.

Awards presented include the Director's Award, which was presented to Teresa Rogers, executive assistant to Dean Karen Plaut, who previously served Purdue Extension for more than 15 years. Rogers was instrumental in assisting with numerous strategic initiatives, in addition to her support of Purdue Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (PCARET) and the strong relationships she built with members and external partners.

The Paul B. Crooks Award was presented to Kathleen Bohde, who began her career in 2002 as a 4-H youth development and consumer family science educator in Morgan County, before transferring to Hamilton County in 2004 to work full-time with the 4-H youth development program. Bohde serves as a team member for the Youth Development Academy, which is a training program that all 4-H educators take to enhance their leadership abilities. One of her most recent programs is the Clover Gaming Connection, which started as a SPARK Club and grew into a statewide initiative to help county 4-H programs reach new audiences, engage new youth and grow a new team of volunteers.

The Outstanding Extension Faculty/Specialist was presented to Larry DeBoer, professor and Extension specialist in agricultural economics who has more than 30 years of service to Purdue Extension and the state of Indiana. His many accomplishments include his expertise in economic analysis, which includes the workshops he pioneered on local income taxes for counties and efforts to launch a state lottery, economic analysis of the Indiana property tax system, his recent regional workshop "How the Property Tax Works in Indiana," a monthly column on economic issues, web-based programs on important local government economic issues, and much more.

Other Extension award winners included:

IEEA Awards

Bob Amick Award: Tami Mosier, Steuben County

4-H Individual Award: Jenny Monarch-McGuire, Tippecanoe County

ANR Individual: Kenneth Eck, Dubois County—Agribusiness Forum Strengthens New Business

ANR Team Award—UAV Signature Program: Mark Carter, Delaware County; Austin Pearson, Tipton County; John Scott, Purdue Extension; Scott Gabbard, Shelby County; Andrew Westfall, White County; Adam Shanks, Clinton County; and Jon Charlesworth, Benton County

HHS Individual: Jan Dougan, Youth Worker Café: Reject Documentary

HHS Team—Hidden in Plain Sight: Jackie Franks, Kosciusko County; Allison Goshorn, LaPorte County; Nancy Hudson, Fulton County; Alice Smith, Jasper County; and Olivia Western, St. Joseph County

CES Team—Mental Health First Aid: Mark Carter, Delaware County; Kelly Heckaman, Area 11 East District director; Tonya Short, Vigo County; Curt Emanuel, Boone County; Jane Horner, Cass County; Marilyn Sink, Clark County; Kelsey Meyers, Henry County; Gina Anderson, Floyd County; Marcia Parcell, Dearborn County; Angela Sorg, DeKalb County; Molly Hunt, Area 7 Interim East District director; Stephanie Woodcox, HHS assistant program leader; and Danyele Clingan, Purdue stu-dent

Career Awards: ANR—Steve Engleking, LaGrange County; HHS—Cindy Barnett, Whitley County

Diversity Award: Esmerelda Cruz, Clinton County

Friends of Extension: Kendell Culp, Jasper County; Cindy Scott, Cass County

Community Development Individual Award: Patty Keating, Porter County

Community Development Team Award—Hometown Collaboration Initiative: Bo Beaulieu, Purdue Center for Regional Development; Michael Wilcox, Purdue Center for Regional Development; Maria Wiltse, Purdue Center for Regional Development; Tanya Hall, Purdue Extension; Heather Strohm, Purdue Extension; Tamara Ogle, Purdue Extension; Steve Yoder, Purdue Extension; George Okantey, Purdue Extension, Kris Parker, Purdue Extension; Patricia Keating, Purdue Extension; Kristi Whitacre, Purdue Extension; Crystal Van Pelt, Purdue Extension; Mary Foell, Purdue Extension; Nick Held Purdue Extension; Hans Schmitz, Purdue Extension; Gina Anderson; Purdue Extension; Cynthia Barber, Purdue Extension; Tyler Wright, Purdue Center for Regional Development.

Community Wellness Coordinator, Individual: Caroline Arnett, LaPorte County

Extension Awards

Paul B. Crooks Award: Kathleen Bohde, Hamilton County

Outstanding Faculty/Specialist Award: Larry DeBoer, Professor of Agricultural Economics

Director's Award: Teresa Rogers, Executive Assistant to Dean Karen Plaut

PUCESA Awards

Team—Succession Planning: Renee Wiatt, Agricultural Economics; Michael Langemeier, Agricultural Economics; Maria Marshall, Agricultural Economics; Craig Dobbins, Agricultural Economics; Krista Pullen, Purdue Extension; Paul Marcellino, Purdue Extension; Ed Farris, Purdue Extension; Lonnie Mason, Purdue Extension Retiree; Kelly Heckaman, Purdue Extension; Linda Curley, Purdue Extension; Andrew Martin, Purdue Extension; Jenna Nees, Purdue Extension; Nicholas Held, Purdue Extension; Kyle Weaver, Purdue Extension; Denise Schroeder, Purdue Extension.

Early Career—Ariana Torres—Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Agricultural Economics; Krishna Nemali—Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

Mid-career—Aaron Patton, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

Career—Liz Maynard, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

Student in Extension—Danielle Marks, Animal Sciences

Leadership—John Orick, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

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