Rebecca Thomas, Chattooga County Extension Coordinator was recently elected as Southern Regional Director for the NAE4-HA, National Association of Extension 4-H Agents. This will be a two year term where she will serve in this national leadership position as a member of Board of Trustees for NAE4-HA Rebecca will be representing the southern region of the U.S. which includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and the Virgin Islands.
The decision to run as a candidate was made this spring. Rebecca completed the required documentation and began work on campaigning, which is somewhat different than a local election. She recorded a campaign video, which was posted on the associations website, used social media and the relationships which she has made over her 22 years of Extension experience. NAE4-HA is a globally recognized, culturally diverse network for youth development professionals, with a membership of several thousand. Annually, Rebecca attends the national conference where she has been active on various committees, attends workshops to stay current of issues facing youth, families, agricultural and communities, along with networking.
Through this two year positon Rebecca will be required to attend quarterly board of trustee meetings, coordinate the communication of all regional directors as editor of news articles and communication, visit southern region states and territories to be the link between the board of trustee and the membership, among other duties.
When asked what she did when she found out, she said, “I was breathless. I first took a seat and sat in amazement. I have two marvelous professionals which were vying for the positions with me. I am honored and humbled to have been selected to serve this great organization and its membership. Growing leaders is what 4-H is all about and through my everyday life as an Extension Agent, I have indeed had the opportunity to learn, grow, and work together with young people to accomplish the extraordinary.”
Written by Hamp Thomas
