National 4-H Council
National 4‑H Council is committed to providing leadership and resources so that 4‑H programs are available to youth across the US. Our executive leadership team and Board of Trustees are dedicated to the belief that helping kids achieve their boldest dreams empowers not only them but also our communities to thrive today, tomorrow, and beyond.
National 4‑H Council supports national and state 4‑H programs with a focus on fundraising, brand management, communications, and legal and fiduciary services. Council also oversees the National 4‑H Conference Center, and the National 4‑H Supply Service, the authorized agent for items bearing the 4‑H Name and Emblem.
Executive Team
Jill Bramble
President and CEO
Jill Bramble is President and Chief Executive Officer at National 4-H Council, the nonprofit partner to Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program. An experienced nonprofit leader, she has dedicated more than 18 years of service to National 4-H Council, starting as a grant writer and rising through the ranks to join the executive leadership team in 2013.
A fourth generation 4-H’er from Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Jill knows firsthand the life-changing impact of 4-H programs and volunteers. A champion of young people and their ability to drive change, she is motivated every single day to pay it forward and ensure these same opportunities are available to all youth.
Jill has cultivated teams and organizations to grow the impact of their missions through sustainable, social impact investments. Prior to stepping into her role as CEO, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Growth Officer focusing on the enterprise alignment of people, marketing, partnerships, and processes to drive revenue and ensure all young people have the opportunity to access 4‑H’s positive youth development programs.
As Council’s Chief Development Officer, she led a team of development professionals and oversaw a portfolio of corporate and foundation partnerships that raised more than $35 million annually to grow and support Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program.
Before joining National 4-H Council, Jill was a senior consultant for Just Cause Consulting where she led strategic planning and grant-writing for nonprofit organizations on the East Coast. Prior to her consulting work, Jill was the Income Development Director for the Mid-Atlantic Division of the American Cancer Society where she led fundraising and local board development in Maryland and Delaware.
Jill received a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Colorado and a Master of Science in Nonprofit Administration from the University of Maryland. Jill and her husband, Scott, have two children, Nick and Jordan.
Jill Bramble
President and CEO
National 4-H council
Stan Harrell
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Stan Harrell is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at National 4-H Council, responsible for the development and implementation of financial operational plans to support the organization. He is a driven and results-oriented senior operations and financial executive with multi-industry experience, specializing in program management, strategic planning, stakeholder relations, and portfolio management.
Prior to National 4-H Council, Stan led the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in the nation’s capital as the chief financial officer and chief information officer from 1998-2021. During his tenure, organization revenues increased to $270 million, up from $60 million, with 450 employees. In 1988, Stan joined the Virginia based American Trucking Associations, serving in finance, technology and operations leadership roles for 10 years.
Stan received his M.B.A. from Georgetown University, Washington, DC and a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Stan Harrell
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
National 4-H council
Andy Ferrin
Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer
Andy Ferrin is the Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at National 4‑H Council.
Andy brings more than 20 years of experience in brand management, marketing, and strategic planning to his role as Chief Strategy Officer at National 4‑H Council. His experience spans all areas of integrated marketing and corporate communications—as CSO he is responsible for assisting the CEO with creating, communicating and sustaining strategic initiatives within National 4‑H Council and the 4‑H movement worldwide.
Before joining 4‑H, Andy was Executive Vice President for PN2, a global Porter Novelli business unit. He led a business development effort that doubled PN2 revenue via new account acquisitions and organic growth of existing accounts and was the management leader for this 45-person advertising/digital/design group. Prior to Porter Novelli, Andy served as Managing Director of Branded, Inc., a Washington, DC-based strategic consulting firm specializing in brand enhancement, corporate identity development, and communications planning.
Andy received his MBA in Finance from the Simon School at the University of Rochester. He also earned a BA in Economics from the University of Rochester. His work and teams have been the recipient of a number of awards, including PR Week’s 2007 Public Affairs Campaign of the Year, the 2003 Porter Novelli Global 3-I Award (Top Client Campaign), and numerous Washington Addys and Tellys.
Andy Ferrin
Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer
National 4-H council
Heather Elliott
Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer
Heather Elliott is the Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer. She is responsible for leading the Resource Development Team, comprised of fundraisers, account managers and operations. This team manages a portfolio of strategic-level funders that raise more than $25 million annually to support the 4‑H movement.
Heather joined National 4‑H Council in 2012 and has since collaborated with Fortune 100 organizations to mobilize more than $250 million to help solve some of the world’s most urgent issues through holistic partnerships that empower our youth leaders.
She has 20 years of experience in development in the non-profit sector building partnerships ranging from local to international scale with organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Children’s National Hospital and the American Red Cross.
Heather has a B.S. from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce and an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. She resides in Charlottesville, VA with her husband and two boys.
Heather Elliott
Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer
National 4-H council
Shawnda H. Howard
Vice President, People and Culture
Shawnda H. Howard is the Vice President of People and Culture at National 4-H Council and is responsible for developing the overall people strategy, leading all People and Culture functions and operations, and fostering a supportive employee experience to achieve business goals and advance the mission.
Shawnda has more than 20 years of diverse experience in human resources leadership and strategic business partner roles in non-profit, public sector, and private sector organizations. Prior to National 4-H Council, Shawnda held several key HR positions at privately held and publicly traded Fortune 500 global companies including Raytheon, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Honeywell. She has extensive experience with mergers and acquisitions integration and building HR teams and infrastructure to support rapid business growth and expansion plans.
Previously, Shawnda was appointed as chief human resources officer for the City of Alexandria, Virginia, where she developed and executed the overall human capital strategy and led a department of professionals with expertise in all aspects of human resources management. She also volunteers and serves as a pro bono consultant to non-profits focused on making positive social impact through education, youth development, equity, and social justice work.
Shawnda earned a Master of Science degree in organization development and strategic human resources from The Johns Hopkins University. She is an alumna of the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia, holds a Certified Compensation Professional designation from the WorldatWork Total Rewards Association, and is a member of several other professional associations including SHRM and CHIEF.
Shawnda H. Howard
Vice President, People and Culture
National 4-H council
