The Tuscarawas County Office of Ohio State University Extension is pleased to announce the hiring of Delaney Weisend as the new Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator. Delaney replaces Chris Zoller, who is now the Assistant Director for Agriculture and Natural Resources for Ohio State University Extension in The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences in Columbus.

Delaney earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business from Wilmington College. Her academic coursework included agricultural finance, economics, policy, and communications as well as farm management, and animal nutrition. She earned a Master of Science in Agricultural Education and Leadership from Oklahoma State University, where her thesis research consisted of implementing a pilot rural youth civic leadership curriculum for 4-H teen leaders. Her graduate studies focused on leadership within agriculture and Extension, the diffusion of change and innovation, and cognitive problem-solving styles. She also assisted with various Oklahoma 4-H and Oklahoma State University Extension initiatives, teaching youth and adults alike how to manage busy schedules, incorporate artificial intelligence tools into their daily tasks, and maintain an orderly meeting using parliamentary procedure.

Delaney is a certified KAI (Kirton Adaption-Innovation) practitioner and has helped teams enhance workplace efficiency by learning how they prefer to solve problems and overcome challenges. She is passionate about agricultural leadership and has shared her academic work nationally and globally.

Delaney grew up on her family’s farm raising Fleckvieh beef cattle, and during her youth, Delaney was an active member of 4-H and FFA. She therefore understands firsthand the joys and challenges of working in the agricultural industry. Delaney is excited to serve as a resource for Tuscarawas County, and she is looking forward to providing programming emphasizing farm management and cognitive problem-solving.