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Bike Fixie

Board of Directors

The Noble County Parks and Recreation Board is composed of six county residents representing different geographic areas of the county. Five members are appointed by County government;  one is appointed by Purdue Extension in Noble County.

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Board of Directors, from left:  Scott Allen, Grace Caswell, Jeff Boyle, Diann Scott, and Dr. James Haddock.  John Metzger is absent from photo.

President

Diann Scott

Diann is an active, dedicated leader and volunteer.  Diann currently serves on the Board (and is a Past President) of the West Lakes Association, which has been extremely active in preserving, promoting and protecting our lakes, rivers and streams. She is working closely with county, state and national leaders and agencies to bring improvements in the Elkhart River Watershed. She also completed her Watershed Management Certification from Indiana University’s Watershed Leadership Academy. Diann is the current President for the Rome City American Legion Post 381 Auxiliary Unit, and serves as Vice President of the American Legion Auxiliary Fourth District. She serves as a Board Member and current Treasurer (and past Vice President) of Advance Rome City (ARC).


Diann retired in 2017 as the Vice President of Marketing at Franklin Electric, based in Fort Wayne, IN.
In this role, Diann was responsible for leading the strategic development of the North America Water
Systems product development, portfolio management, marketing, advertising, field service, technical
hotlines, education, pricing, and promotional programs.


Prior to joining Franklin Electric, Diann spent the majority of her career – nearly 35 years - in a number of
leadership positions for two prominent global automotive suppliers:  Cooper Standard Automotive and
Delphi Corporation.


Diann has also served as a board member of the Water Systems Council, Indiana Lakes Management Council, 
and the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre. She has been an active member of the NGWA (National Ground
Water Association), the national Hydraulic Institute, and the Women Business Leaders Council of Northeast
Indiana.


Diann holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business and an MBA in International Marketing. She and her
husband, DeLane, have been married for nearly 47 years and are the proud parents of two daughters, 12
grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren! They designed and built their retirement home “Red Hawk
Lodge” on beautiful Jones Lake (part of the West Lakes Chain) in Noble County just prior to her retirement
in 2017.

Vice President

John Metzger

John is a 1978 graduate of Central Noble High School. He is currently Vice President and partial owner of Metzger Dairy, Inc. in Wolf Lake. John understands the rural atmosphere in the County, and has been actively involved in dairy farming since 1979. He has been involved in Noble County Farm Bureau, Inc. and is currently serving as on the Board. John was appointed by the Noble County Commissioners to a term to end in 2021.

Secretary

Grace Caswell

Grace Caswell is the Executive Director of Visit Noble County. In this role, she directs the promotion of tourism assets of the county.

Grace is a 2019 graduate of Siena Heights University with a Master of Art Leadership and Organizational Physiology concentrating on non-profit Management. She was previously employed as director of development for St. Martin’s Healthcare in Garrett. Before moving to Indiana, Grace attended Oakland University in Michigan, where she earned a B.A. degree from the College of Arts and Sciences in the field of Anthropology and Archeology.

A Michigan native, Grace has set her sights on the development of outdoor recreation and adventure, leisure travel, and other tourism opportunities in Noble County to boost the region’s economy. She brings a passion and desire to make a positive impact on the community.

Member

W. Scott Allen, P.E.

Scott is a professional civil engineer who has an interest in bicycle and pedestrian trails. Scott served as President of Northwest Allen Trails for three years, and was subsequently active in the development committee for its successor Fort Wayne Trails, prior to devoting his time to local groups. Scott is also a founding member and Secretary of Noble Trails. His professional experience has given him the opportunity to design trails and park facilities for Fort Wayne, New Haven, Warsaw, Winona Lake, and other communities. Scott grew up in Noble County and currently resides near Avilla. He is currently employed by Engineering Resources, Inc. in Fort Wayne. Scott was appointed by the Noble County Circuit Court for a term to end in 2022.

Member

Dr. James Haddock

Growing up among the lakes and meadows of southeastern Michigan encouraged Jim to pursue a B.S in Zoology and a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of California, Berkeley. Since 1972 Jim has served as a professor of biology at IPFW. Through his involvement with the Indiana Academy of Science (including serving as President and Secretary) and Acres Land Trust since the 1970's, Jim has taken active roles in conservation and preservation of Indiana's natural biological and geological heritage. Jim was re-appointed by Noble County Circuit Court Judge G. David Laur to a four-year term to end in 2020.

Member

Chris Macias Padilla

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