Lorethea Potts-Rusk has been a staff member at Vincennes University since 1983 and currently is curriculum specialist concentrating her activities on occupational and technical education as well as grant acquisition and administration.

She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1965 with honors. She attended VU and Indiana State University where in 1969 she received a bachelor's degree in elementary education. Her first job out of college was teaching in junior high school in Lafayette. Some years later, after joining VU, she earned a master's degree in human resources development from Indiana State.

In 1974 Potts-Rusk became an employment counselor for the Indiana Employment Security Division, initially in Vincennes and later in Indianapolis. She was responsible for administering claims under the Trade Readjustment Allowance, a federal program designed to help workers who lost jobs due to the impact of foreign imports. She trained and developed a large staff, which over time benefited thousands of workers from major manufacturers throughout the state.

This experience led to a position in occupational education at VU. Potts-Rusk proposed and administered expenditures to equip state-of-the-art laboratories for occupational education programs. Her work was recognized with an outstanding service award presented by the Indiana Association for Career and Technical Education. She served as president of the Indiana Council of Vocational Administrators in 1993-94.

In recent years she has helped write major grants, which she monitors and coordinates. These large sums have been an extraordinary benefit to VU, school corporations, Knox County, and other areas of southwest Indiana. VU has recognized Potts-Rusk with two prestigious awards-the Exemplary Service Award and the Blue and Gold Cord Award for scholarship, leadership, and service.

Earlier this year Potts-Rusk co-chaired VU's Professional Development Week that comprised more than 100 seminars and workshops for members of the university's faculty and staff.

Potts-Rusk served seven years on the board of Wabash Valley Human Services, and she was a charter member of a group that organized Harbor House, a shelter for abused women. She is active in the First Church of God where she has helped in various programs, including capital improvement campaigns and summer ministries.