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Colette Childress has joined the Indiana Farm Bureau staff as policy advisor for local government relations.

In this role, which is a new one for the public policy team, she will work with INFB members on issues impacting them at the local government level. A lot of the work that Childress will do will tie directly back to rural viability, which is one of this year’s legislative priorities.

Colette comes to INFB from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) where she most recently served as the east central community liaison. At OCRA, she provided expert-level economic and community development guidance to national, state and local elected officials, key leaders and stakeholders.

Prior to her time in state government, she gained brand experience with national companies including Degree, General Motors, Adidas, Newcastle Brown Ale, Mitel and NEC, and she has more than 16 years of project management experience.

Colette has a Bachelor of Science degree and holds multiple certificates from Ball State University, Purdue University and Michigan State University.

In her spare time, she serves in leadership roles for local and state political organizations and as an advisory member of her school corporation. She is an alumnus of the Lugar Series and is currently a member of the 2021-2022 Indiana Leadership Forum (ILF) series.

She resides in Hancock County with her husband, Shaun, their active 3-year-old daughter, Olivia, and a sassy rescue dog named Ginger.