Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN)
Ready Business Mentoring Initiative

Abigail S. Borron
Communication Specialist
Extension Disaster Education Network

T. David Filson
Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordinator
Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension

June 14, 2006

ABIGAIL BORRON

Abigail Borron is a communication specialist for the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN). Based out of the Department of Agricultural Communication at Purdue University, Borron provides Web site and information delivery support for EDEN; she promotes EDEN to state and federal agencies that relate to emergency management; and she practices public affairs management to enhance communication regarding homeland security. In addition to her EDEN responsibilities, she also works as a marketing consultant to Purdue Extension educators in Indiana. Borron has a bachelor's degree in English and Professional Writing from Indiana University-Fort Wayne, and currently is finishing her master's degree in Agriculture and Extension Education at Purdue.

DAVID FILSON

David Filson is the emergency preparedness and response coordinator for Penn State Cooperative Extension. As emergency preparedness and response coordinator, Dave coordinates the communication and interaction among Cooperative Extension administration, faculty, and field-based educators and other agencies, including the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, Pennsylvania Department of Homeland Security, and County Emergency Management Agencies. In this role, Dave helps ensure Penn State Cooperative Extension's preparedness to play an effective and key role in the event of an emergency situation. Dave also serves as partnership leader for Penn State Cooperative Extension. In this role, he serves as a liaison to the Directors office with state and federal agencies and other organizations. He is responsible for building, maintaining and enhancing professional connections and funding partnerships with a variety of agencies and organizations that share common goals with Penn State Cooperative Extension.

Filson was an instrumental partner in funding and establishing the Center for Public Health Preparedness at Penn State. Through a partnership with Battelle and Penn State, the project addressed and identified the network linkages, strengths, and challenges of the emergency response plans for Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and Pennsylvania Department of Health, and how they intersected. Continued activity with the CPHP is to address the importance of wildlife as sentinels for Zoonotic Disease.

Filson co-authored and co-edited a series of courses on Agricultural Emergencies that has received authorization from the Office of Domestic Preparedness. These courses will be used to train first responders who are involved with emergencies involving agricultural facilities.