BOISE, IDAHO - USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden, a native of Camilla, Ga., and former Mitchell County 4-Her, was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame for her lifetime achievement and contributions to 4-H. Honored by the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals, Harden was one of 15 inducted during the ceremony Monday at the Boise Centre. 

The National 4-H Hall of Fame laureates are nominated by their home states, National 4-H Council, the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals, or 4-H National Headquarters of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture-USDA based upon their exceptional leadership at the local, state, national and international levels. 

Honorees were presented with a National 4-H Hall of Fame medallion, plaque, and memory book during the ceremony.

Upon acceptance, Harden said she is humbled and honored to be part of this year's class of inductees. She noted her familiarity with many of the other individuals being recognized and has witnessed their valuable contributions to their communities.

She emphasized the opportunities 4-H has provided her throughout her life, a legacy that continues today in her role as Chair of the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees. As she travels the nation representing the Council, she meets young people involved in 4-H, all united by their passion for the program and the opportunities it offers to them and their families.

"It's such a great program," Harden said. "Why don't we have every kid in this country part of 4-H?" 

The National 4-H Hall of Fame was established in 2002 as part of the Centennial Project of the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents in partnership with National 4-H Council and 4-H National Headquarters of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture-USDA. For more information about the National 4-H Hall of Fame event and past recipients, visit www.4-h-hof.com.

“We are proud to honor and recognize the outstanding individuals who are the Class of 2024 Laureates for the National 4-H Hall of Fame. These individuals have touched the lives of many people, from 4-H staff and colleagues to thousands of 4-H volunteers and members throughout the nation," said Pamela Van Horn, chair of the National 4-H Hall of Fame.  

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Krysta Harden has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in agribusiness and government. She is a proud 4-H alum and uses her role as Chair of the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees to garner nationwide support for 4-H. Regardless of where her career has taken her, she has been a staunch proponent of 4-H since the age of 10. Her leadership, advocacy and commitment to 4-H has resulted in significant positive outcomes.

Uses lessons learned in 4-H to expand opportunities for young people. 2) Has served on the Council Board of Trustees for three years. 3) Chairman of Council’s Board. 4) 4-H donor. 5) Uses her various leadership roles to bring positive attention and resources to 4-H. 6) Active in a variety of global organizations, including the World Economic Forum, Global Child Nutrition Foundation, and the U.N. World Food Systems Summit. 7) Attends and speaks at numerous 4-H events, including Legacy Awards, Spark Celebration, Ignite by 4-H, National 4-H Conference, 4-H Brand Summit, and Youth Advocacy Day. 8) Mentors trustees on the 4-H Youth Alumni Advisory Committee (YAAC), including hosting them at the U.S Dairy Export Council for discussions on 21st century Ag and its workforce. 9) Accompanies YAAC on visits to Capitol Hill to bolster support of the 4-H program, including with Congressman GT Thompson (House Ag Chair), Senator Debbie Stabenow (Senate Ag Chair), Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Senator Amy Klobuchar. 10) Supports alumni by attending events they feature in, e.g., the Grammys for Jennifer Nettles. 11) As a 4-H’er, Krysta showed horses and steers at both the junior and senior state championships; attended project achievement every year; was a regular participant at Rock Eagle 4-H camp; served as a 4-H officer; attended State 4-H Congress and DPA; and was her county’s Club President.

Works diligently to grow 4-H programs, including opening doors to leadership at USDA while informing and educating colleagues about 4-H’s importance. 2) Leads Council’s strategic plan, which will see the System reach 10M youth by 2030. 3) Advances 4-H’s DEI initiatives. 4) Instrumental in negotiating a USDA $9.4M grant, which will increase food production and combat food waste and loss. 5) Provided support for the Tufts Replication and Reconnection Survey, which is being used as a fundraising tool. 6) Provided strategic advice to help guide Council through the Covid-19 pandemic, including the creation of the Fourward Fund, which raised $376K to support Extension programming. 7) Assisted with the development of Council’s four strategic pillars to grow the capacity of Cooperative Extension. 8) Supported the Landmark Gift Task Force, which has strengthened Extension's ability to deliver impactful 4‑H programming to more young people. 9) Played a key role in supporting Council to raise $75M over three years to support 4-H programming. 10) Supports Board growth and succession by introducing government and public institutions to the work of 4-H and its Board of Trustees. 11) Strengthened Ag industry partnerships for the 4-H movement, including the American Soybean Association and AFBF. 12) Instrumental in stewarding $3.35M in funding from Corteva.

President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council since 2021, prior to which she was COO and executive VP of global environmental strategy. 2) Provides executive leadership for the Environmental Stewardship Committee of U.S. Dairy’s Innovation Center. 3) Helped develop and launch the Net Zero Initiative, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality, optimized water usage and improved water quality by 2050 in line with 4-H’ers stated concerns about the environment. 4) Served as Senior VP, External Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer for Corteva Agriscience™, before which she served as vice president of Public Policy and Chief Sustainability Officer at DuPont. 5) Deputy Secretary of the USDA (2013-2016), where she helped to shape food and agriculture policy, including leading the implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill which provided leadership and funding for 4-H programming.

Meets with young people at 4-H events around the country. 2) Shares the life lessons she learned at 4-H. 3) Encourages adults to take note of today’s youth and be more engaged. 4) Helps 4-H develop the next generation of diversely talented leaders. 5) Encourages 4-H’ers to take on leadership roles from a young age. 6) Focuses on expanding opportunities in agriculture for women, young people, immigrants, socially disadvantaged producers, and veterans. 7) Strong believer in 4-H’s power to “give each individual child a place to flourish.” 8) Wants to “give back to an organization that has shaped me in so many different ways” and “equip kids with the skills, confidence and character to deal with challenges.”

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In 2002, the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP), National 4-H Council and National 4-H Headquarters at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA created the National 4-H Hall of Fame during 4-H’s centennial year.  The National 4-H Hall of Fame was established to recognize 4-H volunteers, financial supporters, staff, and pioneers who made major impacts within the 4-H movement at the local, state, and national levels. Biographies and more information about inductees can be found on the National 4-H Hall of Fame website at www.4-h-hof.com

4-H is the nation’s largest youth development organization, serving more than 6 million young people across America annually with research-based programs in leadership, citizenship, communication, and life skills.  For over 100 years, 4-H has connected the science, engineering, and technology innovations of land-grant universities to local youth and families. 4-H National Headquarters at NIFA provides programmatic leadership for the 4-H Youth Development Program.  4-H programs are offered in every county in the United States.  For more information about 4-H, visit the national 4-H website at http://www.4-h.org  

The U.S. Dairy Export Council is a non-profit, independent membership organization that represents the global trade interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors and cooperatives, ingredient suppliers and export traders. Its mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and assist the U.S. industry to increase its global dairy ingredient sales and exports of U.S. dairy products. USDEC accomplishes this through programs in market development that build global demand for U.S. dairy products, resolve market access barriers and advance industry trade policy goals. USDEC is supported by staff across the United States and overseas in Mexico, South America, Asia, Middle East and Europe. The U.S. Dairy Export Council prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, marital status, military status, and arrest or conviction record. www.usdec.org.