Our new Program Officer brings knowledge, understanding, and experience into her role with the Community Foundation of Pulaski County
We are pleased to introduce Marla White, who assumed her role as Program Officer for the Community Foundation of Pulaski County (CFoPC) in December 2025. Marla and her husband Seth are active community members who—along with their four children—live just outside of Pulaski County on a family farm that grows corn and soybeans.
Her three oldest children are boys, resulting in a fair share of what she calls “WWE moments,” and all of Marla and Seth’s kids are heavily involved in 4-H Dairy. So much so, that fair week in the White home is, she says, “by far our favorite week of the year.”
Marla—who grew up in Howard County, just outside of Kokomo—is a third-generation Boilermaker, having achieved a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in animal sciences and a Purdue Veterinary School degree in veterinary technology. After working in the veterinary field for many years and then spending time as a stay-at-home mom with her four kids, Marla transitioned into a role as a Nutrition Advisor for Purdue Extension.
“That position involved a lot of community service work, and working with people in the area—including Pulaski County—to ensure nutritional wellness through programs and education,” said Marla. “I spent a lot of time in this community getting to know people and better understanding the challenges. Recent limitations to SNAP funding ended my time with Purdue Extension, and when I saw the opportunity to join the CFoPC and help strengthen the great work the foundation does, I felt—having worked in the community—I could be a strong candidate.”
In her role, Marla’s duties include supporting organizations and non-profit donors, guiding grant-writing initiatives, building relationships with the community and donors, and helping support the foundation’s overall mission to build resources, engage people, increase involvement, and inspire generosity to enrich and improve lives in Pulaski County.
“There are so many things currently underway at the Community Foundation of Pulaski County, and my primary focus is listening first, and doing whatever I can to strengthen the good that is already happening,” she said. “I’m a farm girl who grew up in a rural culture, and I understand the challenges, and it’s exciting to serve in this way. The foundation is a great mix of good people working together to make the Pulaski County community stronger and more connected through events, programs, and continuing education. I am eager to be a catalyst for all the good the foundation does.”
Marla is looking forward to being a part of upcoming CFoPC projects that will put her considerable experience to good use, including organizing a countywide food summit and facilitating food pantry needs. She is also energized to continue the Community Foundation’s important work in helping the Pulaski County community address the ongoing need for child care solutions.
“My family goes to St. Joseph Church, and I feel very much connected to this community,” said White. “To me, Pulaski County is a faith-filled, hard-working community full of folks who are deeply connected. People who live here and the surrounding rural areas take a great deal of pride in where they live and how they live, and they live with the responsibility of preserving their way of life and also working to make things better. That’s something I understand, and I am committed to helping make the community even stronger.”
White noted that Pulaski County—being a rural area with a significant manufacturing presence—is unique and carries a lot of positive momentum into the future.
“There is so much to love here,” she said. “We have a state park, and so many recreation opportunities, and we have the beautiful Tippecanoe River that connects everyone. It’s encouraging and inspiring to see so much vibrancy in this area.”
White remembers a day when young people spoke proverbially of leaving their small, Indiana towns for ‘greener’ pastures, but she thinks that narrative is shifting significantly.
“These days, it feels like our youth truly understand and appreciate the advantages and the value of a small, tight-knit community,” White said. “More young people are choosing to stay at home, and many are even coming back to the family farm, and I’m so happy to see it. I’m eager and excited to help the Community Foundation make Pulaski County an even better place to live. It feels great to know that, in my role, I am honoring the good work that’s previously been done before me by so many good people.”