Jana Lithgow is a native of Hoopeston, Illinois and was a 10-year 4-H member in Vermilion County. As a teen, she was a delegate to National 4-H Congress and National 4-H Conference. Following those experiences, Jana founded the Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team in 1999 and subsequently worked as a 4-H programs intern at National 4-H Council. Her 4-H experiences led her to a lifelong interest in studying and supporting youth leadership development. Professionally, Jana serves as the Executive Director of Undergraduate Programs for the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. She earned a BSBA from the University of Missouri, an M.Ed in Higher Education and an MS in Human Resources from Loyola University Chicago, and a PhD in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jana and her husband Bryan Truttling live in Columbus, Ohio with their son, Vincent.