Gary Abdullah, Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK – Five Pennsylvania youth leaders were elected to serve one-year terms in executive positions on the Pennsylvania State 4-H Council at the 2010 Pennsylvania State 4-H Leadership Conference held recently in State College, Pa.
The Pennsylvania State 4-H Council is a pre-eminent group of young people selected from around the state to be the official spokespeople for the Pennsylvania 4-H program to government, university and industry officials.
–Jeanette Blank of Middleburg, Pa., has been selected to serve as president of the council. A freshman at Penn State majoring in telecommunications, Blank has been involved in Snyder County 4-H programs for 11 years through the Rabbits and Teen Leadership projects.
–Jamie Forinash of Springboro, Pa., will serve as vice president of operations. A freshman at Edinboro University, Forinash has been involved in Crawford County 4-H programs for nine years and has completed Market Swine, Rabbits, Shotgunning and Teen Leadership projects.
–Christy Lambert of Berlin, Pa., has been selected to serve as the vice president of events. A senior at Berlin Brothersvalley High School, Lambert has been involved in Somerset County 4-H programs for eight years and has completed Goat, Lamb, Rifle, Cooking and Teen Leadership projects.
–Rachel Gruver of Rimersburg, Pa., has been elected to serve as secretary of the council. A senior at Union High School, Gruver has been involved in Clarion County 4-H programs for 10 years and participates in such projects as Horses, Swine, Sheep and Goats.
–Justine Bush of Muncy, Pa., has been selected to serve as reporter and historian. A sophomore majoring in business administration at Lycoming College, Bush has been involved in Lycoming County 4-H programs for 10 years with a variety of projects including Horses, Veterinary Science and Teen Leadership.
Pennsylvania 4-H is a nonformal youth development education program of Penn State Cooperative Extension. Open to youth between the ages of 8 and 19, 4-H helps participants become self-directed, productive and contributing members of a diverse society by empowering them to reach their full potential, working and learning in partnership with caring adults.
The 4-H council officers represent more than 100,000 4-Hers across Pennsylvania through 4-H programs and presentations with regional and state-level civic groups, and through interactions with local, state and national government officials and Penn State administration. During the year, they promote Pennsylvania 4-H at a variety of programs, including the Pennsylvania Farm Show and Penn State’s Ag Progress Days.
They are actively involved in state-level 4-H programming, leading their peers in educational workshops. Also, they plan and implement the annual statewide 4-H Leadership Conference in State College. Beyond their major role of promoting Pennsylvania 4-H, officers plan and administer the opening and closing ceremonies of 4-H Capitol Days and State 4-H Achievement Days.
Each council member also will devote four hours of service to a cause of their own choosing, visit five 4-H clubs within their counties and act as hosts and masters of ceremonies at regional and state 4-H events.