Mt. Carmel, Ill. – University of Illinois Extension serving Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, and Wayne counties welcomes new staff to the Wabash County Extension office. The Wabash County Extension office is home to Wabash County 4-H clubs, 4-H school programs, and unit-wide programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education and Local Food Systems and Small Farms programs.
Carrie Tennis joins Illinois Extension as the Wabash County Office Support Assistant. Carrie will provide administrative support for Illinois Extension programs in Wabash County while assisting with additional fiscal duties. Tennis previously worked as an office manager in the retail and healthcare industries and has volunteered as a Wabash County 4-H leader since 2022. She earned her associate's degree in interpersonal communications from Frontier Community College.
Illinois Extension also recently welcomed Tori Thompson as the new Wabash County 4-H program coordinator. Thompson will spearhead Wabash County 4-H school programs, oversee local 4-H clubs, and provide programs and events that help recruit new 4-H members and empower local youth. Thompson will call on her experiences as a Blue Ribbon 4-H club member in Edwards County to help guide her as she leads the Wabash County 4-H program. Thompson currently attends Murray State University, working toward her bachelor's degree in agricultural science/agribusiness.
“We are thrilled to welcome Carrie and Tori to the Wabash County Extension team. Their passion for community, combined with their unique experiences, will help strengthen our local programs and support the vital work we do across youth development, nutrition, and agriculture,” said Tara Buerster, county Extension director. “Together with Kit McDonald, our SNAP-Ed Community Worker, they’ll help us build a dynamic, responsive team dedicated to serving Wabash County with excellence.”
The Wabash County Extension office has also updated its business hours. The office is located at 738 N. Market St. in Mt. Carmel and is now open to the public five days a week; previously, the office was open Tuesdays through Thursdays. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed daily from 12-1 p.m. for lunch. To contact the Wabash County Extension office, call 618-262-5725. For more information about Illinois Extension serving Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, and Wayne counties, visit extension.illinois.edu/elrww.
WRITER: Rileigh Lear, marketing and communications program coordinator, University of Illinois Extension