Katherine Allen

Katherine started with the University of Florida in 1994, in Orange Co. (Orlando metropolitan area). She has slowly moved to more and more rural communities, landing in Suwannee County in 2007. As the County Extension Director, her responsibility is to provide leadership and direction for the development, implementation, and evaluation of educational programs to assist citizens in North-central Florida.

She has provided statewide leadership as well as programming in innovative educational areas. She is involved in the Housing Education and Research Association, the Florida Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences; and Epsilon Sigma Phi. She has been a certified Class one rater and is certified in Healthy Homes. She was one of the contributing authors for the Housing Community of Practice on e-Xtension.

She has worked cooperatively throughout program areas, winning awards for outstanding program for the Trees and Construction program for builders and architects, for program of excellence for the 4-H Culinary and Grace Camp, team award for the outstanding day camps in Suwannee County, a Superior Accomplishment Award through UF/IFAS and most recently a Distinguished Service Award from her professional organization. Her staff is well-recognized throughout the state and nation for their quality programming. Under her direction, there have been two state Master Gardeners of the Year awards and a State Master Gardener Coordinator. Multiple 4-H Youth Judging Teams have gone on to compete in National competitions and her office provides programming in Diabetes Education and Management that is known throughout the state. More recently after the 2013 flooding from Tropical Storm Debby, she has been involved in Community Revitalization and Redevelopment efforts and has enjoyed participating in the development of the Rural Issue guide with the Kettering Foundation.

Her Bachelor’s degree is from Central Michigan University and her Master’s degree is from the University of Central Florida.