Distinguished Service Award

For NAE4-HA members who have completed 7 years or more of service.

Vera M. Bullard 2023	Vera M. Bullard is a Regional 4-H Program Coordinator for the University of California, covering the Sierra Nevada Region. Vera’s passionate about civic engagement, public speaking, inclusion, accessibility, and volunteer development. She currently chairs the Statewide Public Speaking and Communications Advisory Committee and serves on the Civic Engagement Advisory Committee.
JoLynn Miller 2022	JoLynn Miller has been a 4-H professional for 12 years, ten of them as a 4-H advisor at UC ANR. Her programs have covered a broad range of topics, but more recently she’s focused on volunteer development, working with incarcerated youth, and co-chairs the multi-state Youth Retention Study.
Liliana Vega 2021	Liliana Vega is a 4-H Youth Development Advisor with the University of California in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. She’s been a 4-H Educator for 12 years. Liliana's expertise is reaching and culturally adapting programs for Latinx communities, JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion) and positive youth development.
Jacki Zediker 2020
Cheryl Fraser 2019
Charles Go 2018
Gemma Miner 2017
Steven Worker 2014	Steven Worker has served in the State 4-H Office for the previous 13 years, seven years as a 4-H Program Representative for youth leadership, recognition, and technology programs, and six years as an Academic Coordinator for 4-H science, engineering, and technology.
Liz Dawley	Liz Dawley has been a 4-H Youth Development Program Representative in Colusa County, California for 17 years. Her work incudes traditional club programming, a summer camp program, ag literacy, nutrition education, and leadership development in youth and adults. She has served on several sectional and state committees and mentored fellow Program Representatives.
Keith Nathaniel 2010	Keith Nathaniel is a 4-H Youth Development Advisor in Los Angeles County, California. He has worked for 16 years, primarily in 4-H After School programming. He is responsible for conducting applied research projects designed to inform and shape youth development programs and to create a community of programs that provide quality out of school experiences for youth.
Marianne Bird 2009	Marianne Bird's passion for outdoor programming, science literacy, and youth empowerment feeds her work in camp, club and after school settings. She chairs the California 4-H Camping Advisory Committee and provides leadership to the new statewide 4-H staff structure. She opens outdoor experiences to urban youth and develops science in after school programs. Marianne led the statewide 4-H camp study, development of counselor-in-training manual and SET camp materials.
Jane Chin Young 2008	Jane has served as a California 4-H Advisor in California for 27 years, previously in Los Angeles County and currently in Marin County in the Bay Area. Her program areas of interest have included teen leadership, nutrition education for low-income youth, and therapeutic horseback riding for youth with disabilities.
John Borba 2007	John Borba is a 4-H Youth Development Advisor in Kern County, California and has been with Cooperative Extension for fifteen years. The activities in his county include a 4-H club program with more than forty clubs, school enrichment projects, Operation Military Kids events and special outreach programs.
Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty 2006	As the 4-H Youth Development Advisor in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, Lynn uses science, technology and environmental literacy to develop leadership, citizenship and life skills in young people. Lynn has made contributions to advancing the field of youth development with her applied research in asset building, experiential learning, and life skill development.
Ken Willmarth 2005	Ken Willmarth has served in Cooperative Extension for 26, including the last 22 years as the 4-H Youth Development Advisor in Stanislaus County. Ken promotes enhancing quality, integrity, and relevance of communities through 4-H by giving adults a broad venue for educating their children and relating to one another. Previously he was a classroom teacher and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru.
Darlene Liesh 2004	As a 4-H Youth Development Advisor in Kern County, Darlene always enjoyed working with 4-H Teen Leaders and brought them into the community's 2020 visioning process. As a County Director, Darlene ensures community awareness and support for the 4-H Program through networking and careful fiscal management.
Jeanne George 2003	Jeanne manages two county 4-H club and school enrichment programs enrolling over 3,000 youth and 500 volunteers annually. Jeanne also established three 4-H after school child care programs and has increased the awareness of school age child care issues. Her current interests are developing science inquiry and nutrition curriculum, and evaluating the effectiveness of after school homework clubs.
Loran Hoffmann 2002	During Loran's 19 year as a 4-H Program Representative in the UC Davis campus, she has focused on strengthening teen and adult leadership skills, increasing science and technology literacy, and promoting 4-H program collaborations. She was involved with the development and national dissemination of 4-H SERIES.