July 24, 2026
The Association of Northeast Extension Directors (NEED) has awarded WVU Extension Family & Community Development Agent Lauren Weatherford the 2026 Exceptional Local Educator Award for her leadership of the WVU Extension Financial Literacy Education Team.
West Virginia consistently ranks among the states with higher poverty rates, leaving many families without the chance to build strong money management skills at home. Since 2019, Weatherford has led a multidisciplinary team of county agents and program staff — representing all three WVU Extension program units, along with an Extension evaluation specialist — to build a statewide financial literacy program addressing that gap for youth and adults alike. The team’s content modules cover FAFSA and financial aid, basic personal finance, credit and debt, and savings and investing, and more than half of all WVU Extension faculty and staff have been trained to deliver the curriculum. Weatherford has also forged strategic partnerships with WVU’s John Chambers College of Business and Economics and the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office, which extend the program’s reach into schools statewide through the Get-A-Life financial literacy simulation.
Under Weatherford’s guidance, the team also developed an innovative, flexible statewide evaluation model that allows educators to measure outcomes consistently across different audiences and settings, strengthening accountability and helping position WVU Extension as a leader in financial literacy education. The team’s work has been shared at national conferences, including ESP and NEAFCS, and its advocacy at the West Virginia legislature helped spur public support from a state senator for a high school financial literacy requirement.
Weatherford’s nomination was selected from a number of outstanding submissions. NEED believes Weatherford and the WVU Extension Financial Literacy Education Team exemplify the locally focused, impact-driven, and responsive work this award seeks to celebrate. Stay tuned for the opportunity to join NEED for a celebration webinar in February 2027, where Weatherford will be invited to share more about this exceptional program and answer your questions.