Lacy Yeley Receives the Vernon and Ida Darter Award
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture celebrated the accomplishments of some of its top faculty, staff, researchers and Extension experts at UTIA’s annual awards luncheon. The 2026 ceremony was held on the UTIA campus in Knoxville on August 4. Many of the awards are gifts made possible by faculty, alumni and friends of the institute.
UTIA Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President Keith Carver hosted the celebration and praised the honorees for their devotion to the land-grant mission. “Our UTIA staff and faculty continue to overwhelm me with their enthusiasm and unparalleled expertise,” he said. “I am always in awe of their dedication to providing Real. Life. Solutions. to the people of Tennessee. These award winners represent the efforts and accomplishments this past year that will most benefit all Tennesseans and society – impacts that will have lasting benefits through teaching, research and Extension for years to come.”
Lacy Yeley, family and consumer sciences agent with UT Extension Carroll County, was recognized as the winner of the Vernon and Ida Darter Award. Named for the late UT Extension Dean Emeritus Vernon W. Darter and his wife, the late Ida Darter, this award recognizes excellence among the ranks of associate Extension agents.
“I was surprised and honored to receive the Vernon and Ida Darter Award,” says Yeley. “Extension has given me the opportunity to do work that I genuinely enjoy, and I’m thankful to be part of an organization that makes such a positive difference in the lives of others.”
Yeley has been with UT Extension for 8 years, hosting programs on cardio drumming, yoga, diabetes, healthy living and more. Her primary specialty is coordinating poverty simulations to improve county-wide awareness of financial management and challenges faced by at-risk communities.
In 2025, Yeley received the Innovation in Youth Programming Award from the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. She presented her winning program during the national conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
“It was an honor to represent the University of Tennessee and share my work with Extension professionals from across the country,” says Yeley. “It reminded me that the programs we host in our community can make a difference far beyond our individual counties.”
When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, including her two sons.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.