4-H honors state award recipients

4-H honors state award recipients

Thursday, September 11, 2025

Media Contact: Dakota Ballard | 4-H Communications Coordinator | 405-744-9645 | [email protected]

The Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development program recognized its 2025 Outstanding Alumni and State Partner in 4-H Award winners at the Honors Night Banquet during the 104th State 4-H Roundup in Stillwater on July 24.

Dea Rash, Outstanding Alumni Award

Dea Rash joined 4-H at age 9, not realizing how much the program would shape her future.

"I just knew that it was good for meeting people and learning life skills," Rash said. "I had no idea when I was 9 the benefits that it really would have."

She said 4-H gave her confidence and skills that carried into her career.

"I'm so glad that I was in 4-H, because I don't think that I would have learned the leadership and public speaking skills that I learned in 4-H," she said.

Trips to State 4-H Roundup inspired her to attend Oklahoma State University.

"Going to Roundup all those years helped me know that they had programs that I wanted to major in," she said.

Rash earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree in home economics from OSU, and she began her Extension career in 1991, working with school enrichment programs.

She has served as Payne County Extension's family and consumer sciences and 4-H educator since 2003.

Rash continues to teach hands-on workshops, including being a part of OSU's recent Grandparent University event.

"We taught grandparents and grandkids how to make jam using STEM," she said. "The barn quilt workshop was special because we talked about agritourism and investing in their community."

Rash's 4-H connection spans four generations. Her grandmother was a home demonstration agent, her mother was in 4-H, and her children also became 4-H'ers.

"4-H has made a difference in the lives of our family members for generations," she said.

Blayne Arthur, Outstanding Alumni Award

Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma's Secretary of Agriculture, said that when she was a 9-year-old in Grady County preparing for demonstration contests, she never imagined the skills she learned as a 4-H'er would become part of her daily work.

"I would not have said, 'Someday I'm going to use this in my job every single day,'" Arthur said.

Arthur participated in a wide variety of projects during her 4-H experience.

"I did everything from being in the cooking side of things to pretty much any project area that you could think of," she said. "But I really spent a lot of my time on the equine side of things. My sisters and I showed horses."

Arthur said some of her favorite memories came when one or two of her club members wanted to try something new, and they were able to find someone willing to teach them.

"One of the moms who was a volunteer for our program did a cooking series for our tiny little 4-H club," she said. "Every Saturday, we showed up at Dr. Deaver's house and learned how to cook something, and I think we destroyed her kitchen on a regular basis."

Later, Arthur served as executive director of the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation.

"I thought I knew a lot about the program and a lot about Extension," she said. "But then you get to see on a day-to-day basis how much work goes into everything that happens for our 4-H members."

Arthur said 4-H is beneficial because it connects youth from across the state and allows them to participate in new things.

"I think the very best thing about 4-H is that it doesn't matter where you come from, what your background is, what your family's financial status is," she said. "There's a program for you, and there's a project area for you."

She said Oklahoma 4-H is incredibly welcoming of all young people, and 4-H'ers can tailor their project work to their interests.

"When you see things like shooting sports, ATVs or robotics, there's so much variety as far as project areas," Arthur said. "Hopefully, any student can say, 'There's a place for me, and there's a volunteer that's going to help me - and we're going to do good things.'"

Jim Rutledge, State Partner in 4-H Award

Jim Rutledge's 4-H journey began at age 10 and has continued for 67 years.

"I was a nine-year 4-H'er between Illinois and Wisconsin," Rutledge said. "That determined the whole rest of my life because I fell in love with 4-H."

His interest in leadership came as a junior in high school, when his county 4-H agent asked him if he would consider being a camp counselor.

"He assigned me the rowdiest group of 10-, 11- and 12-year-old boys," he said. "It turned out I loved the experience, and I loved being able to influence those young men."

Rutledge began his career as a 4-H agent in Wisconsin and later worked as an area agent in Wyoming, an Oklahoma 4-H program leader and executive director of the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation.

"Being a county 4-H agent was a great background for all of my later experiences," he said. "Every day that I went to work, I was an extension of the county 4-H agent."

Rutledge also led Oregon's 4-H program and chaired the national group of state 4-H program leaders.

"Most of my career has been about developing leadership of team leaders, volunteer leaders, other educators and agents," he said. "That's one of the great joys of being a 4-H educator - you get to work with wonderful young people and volunteers."

Even in retirement, he and his wife, Pat, continue to find ways to get involved with 4-H.

"I'm available anytime someone needs a judge for something," he said. "Pat and I have done quite a bit of that over the years."

Rutledge also supports 4-H through endowments to the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation, including a child care scholarship in honor of his late wife, Kathy.

"4-H has really been my life, and I could never repay everything that 4-H has given me," he said. "I feel it's important to give something back to the 4-H program."

Brenda Sidwell, State Partner in 4-H Award

Brenda Sidwell said her time in 4-H growing up in Grant County shaped her future.

"4-H has been my lifetime of experiences, and I wouldn't give that up for anything," Sidwell said. "It's given me the opportunity to give back to the community, and I think that I'm a better person for that."

Starting 4-H in eighth grade, she participated in meat judging, showing animals, dress review competitions and performing arts. As a senior, she was involved in a health project that won the state competition and was first runner-up in the nation.

Sidwell said being a part of 4-H develops a work ethic that young people may not find anywhere else.

"I see a lifetime of changes for me, the people around me, and my sisters," she said. "I encouraged my kids to do it, and they followed my footsteps, and they have also tried to get their kids involved in 4-H."

Sidwell owns Sidwell Insurance Agency and continues to give back to Oklahoma 4-H.

She has contributed nearly $50,000 to the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation and established the Sidwell Family 4-H Agribusiness Endowment Fund.

"The scholarship is given to an individual from northwest Oklahoma every year," she said. "That's the primary area we serve in our business."

Sidwell said she hopes her support helps bring more youth to the 4-H program.

"When I have someone come up and ask me about 4-H, I just encourage them," she said. "That's why I participate and give scholarships to kids who want to try to better themselves."

Lynda and Jerry Shoemake, State Partner in 4-H Award

Jerry Shoemake devoted years to supporting Okmulgee County 4-H through leadership on the fair board and community committees.

"He liked announcing all of the shows, and he was at the microphone most of the time," said Lynda Shoemake. "He knew everyone who was showing and cheered them on."

Jerry served on multiple boards and worked year-round to improve the fairgrounds. He helped set rules, raise funds and ensure every exhibitor was recognized. He also served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives for 12 years.

"I would help with things at the fairgrounds, like setting up the exhibit building or repainting it before the fair started," Lynda said.

After Jerry's passing in 2022, Lynda established the Jerry Shoemake All-Around Exhibitor Award, a $1,000 scholarship given each year to the Okmulgee County Fair's top exhibitor.

"I saw an opportunity to provide some money to help 4-H kids," she said.

Lynda credits Jim Beard, a member of the fair board, for coming up with the idea for the criteria for the award.

"He said, 'I think we ought to do an all-around award because Jerry was that all-around person, and he saw value in all of the exhibits,'" she said.

Lynda continues to volunteer at the fair and support 4-H programs, and she hopes the award encourages more young people to participate.

"I'm hopeful that more people get involved in agriculture and that we attract more entries into 4-H," she said. "It's really important to sustain that interest in agriculture because that's how we feed the planet."