Andrea Rippley-Schlais is expecting her second child and will soon be on maternity leave. Her due date is January 28th, and she plans to set up an automatic email reply in the coming weeks to help avoid confusion. This will remind everyone of the process during her absence.

For now, Andrea is still in the office and available—please feel free to call or email her as usual. Once her leave begins, we’ll share another update in the newsletter. Andrea will be gone for approximately 10 weeks, with plans to return in mid-April. During this time, she will not be available, so please avoid contacting her directly.

Ericka Anderson is your first point of contact for general 4-H questions. She is the Extension office’s support staff and is in the Whitehall office every day. Ericka can assist with 4-H Online, the newsletter, club roster lists, and more!
📧 ericka.anderson@wisc.edu | ☎ 715-538-2311 ext. 208

Sarah Torbert is the Area Extension Director for Clark, La Crosse, Trempealeau, and Jackson Counties and Andrea’s direct supervisor. Sarah will support Ericka during Andrea’s absence. She is a former 4-H Educator with experience in Missouri, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, so she is well-versed in 4-H.
📧 sarah.torbert@wisc.edu | ☎ 715-279-6818

Ericka has already been taking on some of Andrea’s tasks over the past couple of months to make this transition as smooth as possible. If you need something from the office, please reach out to Ericka—she is ready to help!

If the programming calendar looks a little light during this time, this is why. Andrea is planning some programs for after her return, so watch for updates on the Programming Calendar.

In short, Andrea will be back! She has no plans to leave long-term and is excited to share this special time in her family’s life with all of you.