DeDecker elected Michigan 4-H Foundation secretary
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EmailJacob M. DeDecker, of St. Johns, was elected to a two-year term as secretary of the Michigan 4-H Foundation board of trustees at its October board meeting.
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Jacob M. DeDecker, of St. Johns, was elected to a two-year term as secretary of the Michigan 4-H Foundation board of trustees at its October board meeting.
The Michigan 4-H Foundation is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that supports the mission and vision of Michigan State University Extension 4-H Youth Development. The foundation receives donations from individuals and organizations to support 4-H youth development activities and to train Michigan 4-H’s adult and older teen volunteers.
Jacob M. DeDecker, of St. Johns, was appointed to the board as the acting state 4-H leader for Michigan 4-H Youth Development and current codirector of MSU Extension’s children and youth programs. DeDecker joined MSU Extension in 2006 as 4-H program leader responsible for 4-H STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), small animal and agriculture programs. He has served as MSU Extension associate state 4-H leader since 2014 and associate director of MSU Extension’s children and youth programs since 2017.
DeDecker works closely with 4-H supervisors and county-based 4-H program coordinators in 4-H policy, partnerships, risk management, and evaluation systems. He is a member of the Michigan Association of Extension 4-H Youth Staff (MAE4-HYS) and received the MAE4-HYS Team Effort Award in 2011 and 2015. An Illinois native and 4-H alumnus, DeDecker was raised on his family’s swine and grain farm. He received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in animal sciences, along with a certificate in business administration, from the University of Illinois.
Michigan 4-H Foundation trustees are volunteers who manage foundation policies and operations and are community advocates for ongoing and increasing support for 4-H. They are also charged with overseeing the activities of foundation staff members and working on committees developed to facilitate foundation operations.
Also elected as officers were: president Sally A. Stuby, Centreville; vice president Sheila W. Kneeshaw, Detroit; and treasurer Melissa Humphrey, Fowler. The immediate past president is Douglas E. Lewis, Milan.
The Michigan 4-H Foundation owns and operates Kettunen Center, the state’s 4-H leadership training and conference center near Tustin, Mich. The organization also generates private support to operate and maintain the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens at Michigan State University. For more information about the Michigan 4-H Foundation, visit www.mi4hfdtn.org. Michigan 4-H Youth Development is the youth-serving program of Michigan State University Extension. More than 209,000 youth are involved in 4-H with the support of 16,000 adult volunteers. For more information about Michigan 4-H, visit www.4h.msue.msu.edu.
