Chevy Chase, MD— (December 10, 2015) National 4‑H Council announced today the election of a new chairman and three new elections to its Board of Trustees.
“We are honored to welcome these leaders to help guide and further National 4‑H Council’s goals of increasing investment and participation in high-quality 4‑H programs,” said Jennifer Sirangelo, president & CEO, National 4‑H Council. “This is an exciting time as the Board embarks on an ambitious plan to help reach millions more youth with the power of a 4‑H experience,” said Sirangelo.
The new Trustees join a diverse board made up of corporate executives, leaders from the nation’s land-grant universities, Cooperative Extension System and the United States Department of Agriculture as well as 4‑H alumni and youth leaders.
Landel Hobbs, founder and CEO, LCH Enterprises, LLC, Atlanta, GA, assumed his new leadership role as chairman of the Board during last month’s Board meeting. Hobbs’ areas of expertise span the financial, telecommunications, media and entertainment industries. Prior to LCH Enterprises, Mr. Hobbs was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Time Warner Cable as well as the Chief Accounting Officer for Turner Broadcasting Company.
He has served on Council’s Board for more than five years and prior to his new leadership post chaired the Finance Committee. He is preceded by Alison Lewis, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, New Brunswick, NJ, who remains on the Board and the Executive Committee.
New Trustees
David Cruz, New York Life Senior Managing Director and Head of Institutional Annuities
Parsippany, NJ
David Cruz leads New York Life Institutional Annuities, which includes the Guaranteed Products, Structured Settlements, and Stable Value Investments businesses. He is responsible for product management, distribution and service of these businesses which total approximately $47 billion in combined assets as of March 31, 2015. Mr. Cruz earned his B.S. from Villanova University and MBA from William Paterson University. Mr. Cruz and New York Life support 4‑H programs that engage Hispanic youth in urban markets.
Tom Lehr, Dailey
President & CEO
West Hollywood, CA
Tom Lehr leads Dailey, one of the most established and respected full-service advertising agencies based in Los Angeles. Known for its unique blend of blue-chip consumer packaged goods, restaurant, and fast-paced retail accounts, the agency also believes in giving back to the community through its pro-bono work with several organizations, including National 4‑H Council. Dailey and Council are developing a national brand campaign, 4‑H Grows True Leaders, to increase 4‑H awareness nationwide. Mr. Lehr received his bachelor’s degree from UCLA and is a graduate of the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, CA.
Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware
Associate Dean & Director, Cooperative Extension and Outreach
Newark, DE
As Associate Dean and Director, Dr. Michelle Rodgers provides overall leadership for programs, personnel and the organizational development of the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The 4‑H alumna chairs the national Extension Committee of Organization and Policy (ECOP) and served as co-chair of the ECOP Health task force. Prior to the University of Delaware, Dr. Rodgers spent five years as Associate Director at Michigan State University Extension. Dr. Rodgers holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Penn State University.
About 4‑H
4‑H, the nation’s largest youth development organization, grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for career tomorrow. 4‑H programs empower nearly six million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills. 4‑H is the youth development program of our nation’s Cooperative Extension System and USDA, and serves every county and parish in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3000 local Extension offices. Globally, 4‑H collaborates with independent programs to empower one million youth in 50 countries. The research-backed 4‑H experience grows young people who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to make healthier choices; two times more likely to be civically active; and two times more likely to participate in STEM programs.
Learn more about 4‑H at www.4‑H.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4‑H and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/4H.
