Purdue Extension announces Regional Operations Leaders

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Angie Abbott, associate dean and director of Purdue Extension, has announced the 23 Extension staff who began their roles as Regional Operations Leaders, effective June 1. These individuals will play a key role as Extension transforms to a statewide organizational structure with 12 regions and a county-based 4-H program.

Regional Operations Leaders will supervise Purdue Extension staff in each region, provide strategic leadership and administrative oversight, and ensure operational effectiveness across a defined multicounty region. They will also work closely with communities to identify local needs and ensure access to programs in agriculture and natural resources, community development, health and human sciences, and 4-H.

“Regional Operations Leaders will play a critical role in building and maintaining strong local relationships, supporting county operations, helping connect communities to Purdue Extension programs and services, and ensuring responsiveness to local needs,” Abbott said. “We are excited to share this next step in our transformation that will foster stronger connections with our community partners.”

The Regional Operations Leaders and their counties are as follows:

  • Region 1
    • Julie Jones: Jasper, Lake, Newton, White
    • Lupe Valtierra: LaPorte, Porter, Pulaski, Starke
  • Region 2
    • Brittney Schori: Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, Marshall, St. Joseph
  • Region 3
    • Matt Dice: DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Whitley
    • Bill Horan: Adams, Allen, Huntington, Wabash, Wells
  • Region 4
    • Eric Hillis: Grant, Howard, Miami, Tipton
    • Samantha Williams: Carroll, Cass, Clinton
  • Region 5
    • Emily Ade: Benton, Fountain, Tippecanoe, Warren
    • Deidra Nicley: Montgomery, Parke, Putnam, Vermillion, Vigo
  • Region 6
    • Laura Dodds: Hancock, Hendricks, Marion
    • Susan Peterson: Boone, Hamilton, Madison
  • Region 7
    • Justin Curley: Blackford, Jay, Randolph, Union, Wayne
    • Becky Marvel: Delaware, Fayette, Henry, Rush
  • Region 8
    • Cindy Barber: Daviess, Knox, Martin
    • Christie Jacob: Clay, Greene, Owen, Sullivan
  • Region 9
    • Ody Ekwonwa: Brown, Lawrence, Monroe, Morgan
    • Diana Stone: Bartholomew, Jackson, Johnson, Shelby
  • Region 10
    • Britt Copeland: Dearborn, Jefferson, Ohio, Switzerland
    • Christopher Fogle: Decatur, Franklin, Jennings, Ripley
  • Region 11
    • Jenn Mayo: Dubois, Perry, Pike, Spencer
    • Meagan Salomon: Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick
  • Region 12
    • Megan Broughton: Crawford, Floyd, Orange, Scott
    • Katie Whiteford: Clark, Harrison, Washington

More information on the Extension transformation can be found on this webpage, which features a map with the 12 regions.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.

Writer: Olivia De Young, odeyoung@purdue.edu

Media contact: Maureen Manier, mmanier@purdue.edu, 765-494-8415

Source: Angie Abbott, abbottar@purdue.edu