Community Wellness Coordinators

Our Community Wellness Coordinators (CWCs) help make the healthy choice the easy choice by providing support services to community-driven public health efforts. With an eye toward long-term change, CWCs collaborate with community partners to impact policies, systems, and environments.

CWCs have worked on everything from community gardens and farmers markets to food access and healthy corner stores. If you have a public health program in mind, we can help make it a reality.
find a CWC near you »

Have a public health initiative? We can help.

Check out the videos below highlighting some of our community garden efforts throughout Indiana.

Community Wellness Coordinators

What is a Community Wellness Coordinator?

Every community across Indiana faces a challenge to its residents’ wellbeing. Our Community Wellness Coordinators (CWCs) are public health experts who address barriers to healthy living for limited-resource individuals and communities. By partnering with local residents and leaders, CWCs find innovative solutions to health-related challenges. Along the way, communities are revitalized.

With an eye toward sustainability, CWCs collaborate with partners to create policies, improve systems, and encourage environmental changes that improve the health of all members of their communities. We refer to these as “PSE changes” that help make the healthy choice the easy choice in your community.

What does a Community Wellness Coordinator do exactly?

We equip local residents, leaders, and organizations with the tools and resources needed to revitalize their communities. Our efforts include:

conducting community assessments,
creating community health action plans,
researching and applying for project funding,
coordinating efforts with government, nonprofit and other community agencies, and
implementing sustainable solutions.

We do this through community-led projects, or initiatives, in three different arenas: food access, active living, and community coalitions and collaborations. All of our services are free.

How do CWCs improve food access?

Through statewide partnerships, CWCs help local agencies and groups create and maintain opportunities for residents to find nutritious food. Projects like community gardens, healthy corner stores, food pantries, farmers markets, and school nutrition services are just a few ways we improve local access to food.

“We work with community organizations including cities, counties, heath care organizations, foundations, advocacy groups, etc., to improve the health and wellbeing of communities through farmers markets. We improve access by a variety of events and initiatives including SNAP and WIC support, incentive programs, healthy eating and active living demonstrations, youth programing, and more.” – Lacy Wilson and Jered Blanchard, Farmers Market CWC Specialists

Why do CWCs focus on active living?

Active living involves walking and biking, which has numerous health benefits. By revitalizing downtowns with green spaces, murals, and walking trails, people are enticed to visit and walk. Building and improving parks and trails persuades residents to explore and play. Helping communities calm traffic patterns and install sidewalks creates safer walking conditions.

All of these outcomes motivate CWCs to partner with communities, help find grants, and develop wellness plans for more active communities.

“Hoosiers don’t get enough exercise, and gym memberships can be expensive or impractical for many. I help communities build neighborhoods that make it easy, safe and practical to move around on foot or bicycle so that exercise is built into everyday life.” – Nathan Miller, Physical Activity & Placemaking CWC Specialist

What roles do CWCs play in building community coalitions and collaborations?

The challenges confronting our communities are too great for one agency or community group to tackle alone. CWCs invites everyone to help confront the problem. They help with:

Grant research and writing,
Community planning and networking,
Helping organizations to work together so efforts are not duplicated.

“Collaborations and coalitions become a platform for sustainable change by developing plans, policies, and strategies as well as combining and leveraging resources to achieve identified goals.” – Ashlee Sudbury, Community Collaborations and Coalitions CWC Specialist

What’s the difference between an NEP Advisor and a Community Wellness Coordinator?

While our NEP Advisors provide direct nutrition education, our Community Wellness Coordinators collaborate with community partners on broader community change that involves policies, systems and environmental initiatives.

You say that Community Wellness Coordinators are involved in policy, systems and environmental (PSE) change. What is that?

PSE change is a new way of thinking about how to improve health in a community and make healthier choices a real option for people.

For years, health programs have focused on individual behavior, assuming that if you teach people what will make them healthy, they’ll do it. Unfortunately, many health issues are related to things beyond a person’s control, such as:

Where they live
Food available near their home
Procedures and practices in schools and workplaces

Being healthy involves more than just individual choices. It’s not enough to know how to be healthy – people also need practical, readily available healthy options around them. PSE’s help make that happen. They make the healthy choice the easy choice.

Can you define policy, systems and environment, and provide examples?

Policy – Passing laws, regulations, resolutions or ordinances

School policy prohibits junk food in school fundraising drives
New law allows residents to plant community gardens in vacant lots
Healthy meeting, healthy vending machine or healthy concession stand policy
Not allowing recess to be taken away as punishment

Systems – Changes to rules or processes of an organization, institution or system

EBT acceptance at farmers markets
Preschools begin using the Color Me Healthy curriculum (an evidence-based curriculum on nutrition and physical activity)
Farm to school programs
Creating a community plan to account for health impacts of new community projects
The work of a Food Policy Council to improve local, sustainable and secure food systems

Environment – Changing the physical environment

Incorporating sidewalks, paths, pedestrian-friendly intersections and recreation areas into community design (Complete Streets policy)
Availability of healthy food choices in local restaurants
Incorporating trail signage on walking paths
Installing bike racks in the community
Promoting use of stairs instead of elevator through signage
Creating community gardens

Find the CWC in your county.

Each county in Indiana has its own CWC ready to help your community. Find yours.

What county are you in?

THE CWC FOR TIPPECANOE IS:

Catherine Niese

East

Decatur, Rush, Shelby

Email Catherine

Gabrielle Fritz

West

Clay, Greene, Owen

Email Gabrielle

Katie Howell

East

Hancock, Marion

Email Katie

Keri Mertz

North

Grant, Wabash

Email Keri

Amy Burch

North

Adams, Huntington, Wells

Email Amy

Jenny Brady

West

Hendricks, Parke, Putnam

Email Jenny

Krista Pullen

North

Cass, Clinton

Email Krista

Jessica Martini

West

Jefferson, Ohio, Scott, Switzerland

Email Jessica

Vici Gasaway

East

Henry, Madison

Email Vici

Ryleigh Scott

Howard, Tipton

Email Ryleigh

Cristiana Verissimo

Boone, Montgomery

Email Cristiana

Ashley Roberts

East

Email Ashley

Amber Zimmer

Jasper, Lake

Email Amber

Megihann Leininger

Email Megihann

Jill Tuley Walters

Daviess, Dubois, Hamilton, Martin, Orange

Email Jill

Lacy Wilson

Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh

Email Lacy

Casey Williams

Gibson, Vanderburgh, Warrick

Email Casey

Jeff Walker

Dearborn, Jennings, Ripley

Email Jeff

Erin Slevin

Johnson, Morgan

Email Erin

Erin Sherrow-Hayse

Lake, Newton

Email Erin

Deborah Mix

Pulaski, Starke, White

Email Deborah

Erin Meyer

Crawford, Perry, Pike, Spencer

Email Erin

Becky Marvel

Fayette, Franklin, Union, Wayne

Email Becky

Beckie Lies

Marshall, St. Joseph

Email Beckie

Katelyn Kutemeier

Bartholomew, Jackson, Washington

Email Katelyn

Veronica Jalomo

Benton, Lake

Email Veronica

Allison Finzel

Knox, Sullivan, Vermillion, Vigo

Email Allison

Annie Eakin

Brown, Lawrence, Monroe

Email Annie

Mindy Duckett

Fulton, Miami

Email Mindy

Katie Davidson

Clark, Floyd, Harrison

Email Katie

Lindsey Cox

Blackford, Delaware, Jay, Randolph

Email Lindsey

Betsy Coffing

West Region

Carroll, Fountain, Tippecanoe, Warren

Email Betsy

Cori Chatterton

Marion

Email Cori

Lindsey Caterina

Elkhart, Lagrange, Steuben

Email Lindsey

Jered Blanchard

Adams, Allen, De Kalb

Email Jered

Caroline Arnett

Kosciusko, La Porte, Noble

Email Caroline

Linda Adams

Marion

Email Linda

NEP Regional Supervisors

In addition to CWCs located in each county, NEP Regional Supervisors oversee the North, East, and West Regions of Indiana.

NEP North Regional Supervisor

Megihann Leininger

Email »

NEP East Regional Supervisor

Ashley Roberts

Email »

NEP West Regional Supervisor

Jill Tuley Walters

Email »

Success Stories

We’re proud of the work we’re doing with people and communities throughout Indiana. Read about some of our programs below.

Educating, Exercising, and Eating in Spencer County

Purdue Extension Nutrition Education Program Advisor, Danica Williams, recently taught the CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health) curriculum to children, along with some of their parents, at the summer feeding program at Rockport Elementary in Rockport, Indiana.

read the story »

How COVID-19 Inspired Gardeners to Feed a New Community

PNEP "Growing Together" project brings new produce to a new community during COVID-19 pandemic. The project is a collaborative, multi-state project between Purdue University SNAP-Ed and Extension Master Gardener programs within Extension’s North Central Region.

read the story »

CATCH Program a Successful Start for 22 Third Graders!

Lindsey Walejewski recently taught the CATCH curriculum to the third-grade class at Beiger Elementary. After the 5 lessons, their teacher, Robert O’Hara, reported a significant change in behavior and that the students were in much better moods after the class!

read the story »

Success Stories

We’re proud of the work we’re doing with people and communities throughout Indiana. Read about some of our programs below.

About NEP

Community Wellness Coordinators

Have a public health initiative? We can help.

Community Wellness Coordinators

What is a Community Wellness Coordinator?

What does a Community Wellness Coordinator do exactly?

How do CWCs improve food access?

Why do CWCs focus on active living?

What roles do CWCs play in building community coalitions and collaborations?

What’s the difference between an NEP Advisor and a Community Wellness Coordinator?

You say that Community Wellness Coordinators are involved in policy, systems and environmental (PSE) change. What is that?

Can you define policy, systems and environment, and provide examples?

Find the CWC in your county.

THE CWC FOR TIPPECANOE IS:

Catherine Niese

Gabrielle Fritz

Katie Howell

Keri Mertz

Amy Burch

Jenny Brady

Krista Pullen

Jessica Martini

Vici Gasaway

Ryleigh Scott

Cristiana Verissimo

Ashley Roberts

Amber Zimmer

Megihann Leininger

Jill Tuley Walters

Lacy Wilson

Casey Williams

Jeff Walker

Erin Slevin

Erin Sherrow-Hayse

Deborah Mix

Erin Meyer

Becky Marvel

Beckie Lies

Katelyn Kutemeier

Veronica Jalomo

Allison Finzel

Annie Eakin

Mindy Duckett

Katie Davidson

Lindsey Cox

Betsy Coffing

Cori Chatterton

Lindsey Caterina

Jered Blanchard

Caroline Arnett

Linda Adams

NEP Regional Supervisors

NEP North Regional Supervisor

Megihann Leininger

NEP East Regional Supervisor

Ashley Roberts

NEP West Regional Supervisor

Jill Tuley Walters

Success Stories

Educating, Exercising, and Eating in Spencer County

How COVID-19 Inspired Gardeners to Feed a New Community

CATCH Program a Successful Start for 22 Third Graders!

Success Stories

Educating, Exercising, and Eating in Spencer County

How COVID-19 Inspired Gardeners to Feed a New Community

CATCH Program a Successful Start for 22 Third Graders!