 Economic
and Community Development
Purdue Cooperative
Extension Service
Marion County
Carmen E. DeRusha
is an Extension Educator
in the area of Economic
and Community Development
at the Purdue Cooperative
Extension Service in
Marion County. Carmen,
originally from Colombia,
moved to the USA in
1986. She has worked
successfully in the
area of neighborhood
development in two
urban neighborhoods
in the city of Indianapolis.
Most recently, she
has focused her time
working with the Hispanic
community in Indiana.
Carmen served a the
Executive Director
of La Plaza from March
of 2003 to December
31st 2004, a partnership
organization of The
Hispanic Center, Fiesta
Indianapolis, The Indianapolis
Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce, and the Hispanic
Education Center. In
October of 2004 she
was asked to serve
as the Interim Director
of the Hispanic Center
a 34 years old Hispanic
Organization dedicated
to serve the social
and health needs of
Hispanics In Marion
County.
Carmen believes very
strongly in the power
of people working together
towards a shared vision.
She would like to contribute
to the creation of
community-based organizations
within the Hispanic
community as a way
to strengthen the presence
and positive influence
of the people of Hispanic
origin in the community
at large.
Carmen has served
as a volunteer on the
Board of Directors
of Fiesta Indianapolis,
Inc., four years as
President; the Board
of Directors of Marion
County Commission on
Youth, Imagine Campaign
for the Marion County
Public Library and
La Plaza Inc., the
Mayor’s Latino
Commission and the
American Pianists Association.
Governor Frank O’Bannon
to the Indiana Heritage
and Cultural Council
appointed Carmen in
2002.
Currently she is Board
member of the Goodwill
Industries Foundation,
the Hawthorne Community
Center, President of
Sociedad de Amigos
Colombia, SADCO, member
of the Local Initiative
Support Corporation,
LISC Advisory Committee
and the Indy Neighborhoods
Implementation and
Demonstration Working
Groups.
Carmen is passionate
about building bridges
of understanding between
Latinos and the community
at large. Carmen has
provided leadership
in organizing and implementing
the following events:
Fiesta Indianapolis,
1999 to 2002, co-chair
of the Latino Summit “The
Changing face of Indiana
from 2001 to 2004,
Latin American Symphonic
Music Concerts from
1997 to 2007 and as
chair of the First
Conference on Domestic
Violence and Sexual
Assault, 2006.
As a guest speaker,
Carmen addresses the
topics of diversity,
culture and Latino
issues in general.
In 2002, Carmen received
the Indiana Extension
Educators Association
Innovator Award for
Leadership and Community
Development. She has
also received a Cultural
Vision Award from NUVO
news weekly, the Hispanic-American
Service Award from
the Hispanic Education
Center and a “Paul
B. Crooks Award” from
Purdue University
Cooperative Extension
Service.
Carmen is a participant
in the National Training
Laboratory, Diversity
Practitioner’s
Certification Training. |
