LAPORTE, Ind. – Volunteers with a 4-H program in Indiana seem happy with a change in leadership at their local Purdue University Extension office.

However, there are still concerns because the new leadership is there on an interim basis and working part-time.

The LaPorte County Council last year cut $5,000 from the more than $400,000 county government contributes to operate the local office.

The reduction was designed to send a message to top brass with Purdue Extension about the desire for new leadership after the office lost about one-third of the 4-H volunteers who quit or felt forced out of the program.

Volunteers described the former leadership team, which left in January, as heavy handed and cold in their style of management.

LaPorte County Councilman Mike Rosenbaum said the intent is to restore funding but more needs to be known about the future make-up of the administration at the county office and the direction of the 4-H program.

He also wants to know if the leadership positions will go back to being full-time.

Rosenbaum said membership in the youth program in La Porte County dropped from about 1,600 to 800 during the five-year reign of the former leadership.

“I honestly don’t know where we’re going to go with this. It really depends on how Purdue Extension responds to some things and reassures us of some things,” Rosenbaum said.

Uncertainty also remains with the future make-up of the local Purdue Extension board.

“They basically told us they we’re going to kind of let our terms expire. They want to repopulate the extension board with other younger people,” said Vern Schafer, current board president.

Schafer, a farmer in LaCrosse, said local board members are generally appointed by 4-H volunteers from their respective counties. “I questioned them on that, but they seem to think they are going to be able to do that,” he said. His term expires in March.

Schafer said he also doesn’t know how long the new Purdue Extension leaders will be in the county because there’s been very little contact with board members from high-ranking Extension officials at West Lafayette.

Joan Grott and Julie Jones, full-time Extension educators in Lake and Porter counties, are splitting their duties to help run the LaPorte office.

Schafer, projects coordinator in 4-H beef barn during the LaPorte County fair, said he and other volunteers during the fair, which ended July 16, “got along quite well with our borrowed extension educators. They helped us get through the fair and we did very well. The morale seemed to be better this year,” he said.

He said the new leaders are much more personable and didn’t interfere with the work of the volunteers during the fair.

The LaPorte County Commissioners on July 20 renewed its contract for services with the local Purdue Extension office.

Commission President Sheila Matias said support of the contract followed serious talks with Purdue Extension officials at the state and regional levels. “We had some tough conversations. We really wanted them to hear LaPorte County 4-H concerns,” she said.

Matias said a mutual understanding was also struck on changes Purdue Extension statewide has made in areas like how 4-H volunteers are selected. She feels a lot of progress has been made in healing wounds and hopes they continue to mend.

“As you know, relationships require effort and they require time. It’s a process.  Fingers crossed,” she said.