Two new faces are on staff at Greene County Extension. Laura Ballard of Jefferson has joined the team, filling a recent opening as fulltime office assistant, while Mary Tighe of Herndon will serve as mentoring program coordinator, a part-time position recently created by the Greene County Extension Council to coordinate the Kids With a Connection mentoring program in Greene County.
“We’re excited to have both Laura and Mary on board with us,” said Michael Cooley, county Extension coordinator for Greene County Extension. “They have extensive experience and knowledge related to their respective positions, which means top-notch service for the people of Greene County.”
Ballard brings 20 years of administrative experience to the front desk, including work in public and higher education, private industry, sales, and customer service. She is responsible for first client contact and helping citizens find solutions to a wide variety of questions and concerns that come through the doors at the Greene County Extension Office.
A graduate of Jefferson High School, Ballard attended the University of Northern Iowa and completed her BS in organizational management at Huntington (IN) University. Ballard is an active community volunteer, serving on the board of directors of Greene County Adopt-a-Family and Greene County Activities Booster Club and a member of the Jefferson Public Library board of trustees. She also is treasurer for the congregation at Christ Lutheran Church.
Tighe, a longtime educator, will coordinate theKIDS with a Connection mentoring program. The Greene County Extension Council recently assumed responsibility for the program following the retirement of the program’s founder, Donna Sutton, from Greene County Public Health. Tighe will work with Sutton over the next year to ensure a smooth transition. Tighe’s responsibilities include recruiting and retaining mentors, matching those mentors with youth identified by educators in need of a mentor, and coordinating group events for all involved in the program. She will also work closely with the newly formed Greene County Mentoring Advisory Committee, consisting of Greene County volunteers with an interest in mentoring programming. The program is funded in part by a grant from the Communities 4 Children Decategorization Project, with matching resources provided by Greene County Extension.
Tighe earned two degrees in education, a bachelor’s degree from Northwest Missouri State University and a master’s degree from Viterbo University. She spent more than 25 years teaching at Coon Rapids-Bayard Community School, Bayard Community School, and Raider Rompers Preschool. For 10 years, she was a consultant at Heartland AEA 11 in Johnston, working with schools in Guthrie, Audubon, and Carroll counties. She is currently a substitute teacher for local school districts and also serves as an adjunct instructor for Heartland AEA 11, where she conducts trainings for teachers. Tighe is also a volunteer for the Greene County Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) at Greene County Medical Center.
Stop by the Extension office at 104 W. Washington, Jefferson, or call 515-386-2138 to meet Laura and Mary and to learn the latest in programming and information offered. Greene County Extension also provides a host of information 24 hours a day through its website www.extension.iastate.edu/greene
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