Local resident receives National Friend of Conservation Award
Comet staff report

Ayres

Janet Ayres, one of Indiana's experts in leadership development, received the Friend of Conservation Award from the National Association of Conservation District (NACD) annual conference last week in a ceremony in Reno, Nev. The event was attended by over 1,000 conservation enthusiasts from across the United States.

The award recognizes an individual, business, organization or agency outside NACD for outstanding contributions to the conservation of the nation's natural resources. Ayres was nominated by the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts for her work with the Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP). She worked with the ICP in developing a statewide leadership development program series specifically designed to enhance the skills of Soil and Water Conservation District supervisors.

A professor and Extension specialist in leadership development at Purdue University's College of Agriculture, Ayres dedicated herself professionally and personally to helping Indiana develop conservation leadership. She has played an integral part in the creation, development and implementation of the Natural Resource Leadership Development Institute. She served as a representative from the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service through much of her work in Indiana.

As part of her work with the ICP, Ayres committed two years to launch the curriculum of the newly-formed SWCD Leadership Institute. She was instrumental in developing the core content for the institute which consists of a series of leadership training opportunities for district board members and key support staff.

"It was a humbling experience to receive this award," said Ayres. "I love working with people in the Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Their concern and dedication to helping our communities have clean water and productive soils is something that benefits all of us. I'm privileged to work for Purdue Extension that supports programs to better our communities."

Ayres said she was fascinated with changes in rural communities since she was a teenager on a dairy farm near Cutler in Carroll County. The controversial public issues she witnessed in her community inspired her to devote her career at Purdue to developing educational programs that build the capacity of citizens to affect the future of their communities.

Her Extension and teaching activities focus on the areas of leadership and community development. She was a leader and collaborator in developing several other statewide programs including the Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program and Take Charge, a strategic planning program that has been adopted in several other states. Ayres has worked in over 200 rural communities in Indiana and published more than 90 publications, manuals and curricula on leadership and rural development.

From 1996 to 2002, she served as assistant Extension director and program leader for the Leadership & Community Development program area. During this time she initiated and provided leadership to the Purdue Extension Land Use Team.

Ayres and her husband, Lynn Corson, reside in Delphi.