The University of Illinois Extension has announced that Dr. Ann Johnson is the 2024 4-H Hall of Fame Award recipient for Stephenson County. Dr. Ann is an 11-year volunteer in Stephenson County and was recently honored by Illinois 4-H for her selfless dedication to the University of Illinois Extension 4-H youth development program.
Dr. Ann grew up in a 4-H family and was a 10-year 4-H member of the Grasshopper Sweet Clover 4-H Club in Boone County, Illinois. After high school, Dr. Ann went on to get her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and is currently a vet for New Hope Veterinary Clinic in German Valley.
As a 4-Her, Dr. Ann was always appreciative of the volunteers who gave of their time to teach her, so after graduating from vet school she looked for a local 4-H club that she could get involved with on a volunteer basis. She has been helping co-lead the German Valley Golden Eagles 4-H Club for 11 years. Dr. Ann is very instrumental in helping youth try new things. At 4-H club meetings, Dr. Ann can be found teaching youth how to quilt, make a blanket, or lead them in an animal science demonstration. Besides being a 4-H Leader, Dr. Ann has been the Stephenson County dog superintendent from 2014-2019, she was the trainer for the Stephenson County 4-H Dog Club during this time, as well. This past February, Dr. Ann led a Vet Science workshop at our 4-H Super Saturday event. In the summers Dr. Ann can be found judging Animal & Vet Science posters at our County 4-H General Projects Day & at the State 4-H Shows!
“Dr. Ann loves to share her knowledge of animal and vet sciences with youth,” says Brenda Heimann, Stephenson County Program Coordinator. “Whether it is animal-related, art-related, or a community service project Dr. Ann is always looking for new ways to get our 4-H youths involved whether that is at the club, county, or state level! We are beyond grateful for volunteers like Dr. Ann who are excited and willing to give back to a youth program that gave so much to make them who they are today!”
“Our local volunteers are the heart and soul of our 4-H program and mean so much to both us and the youth and families involved in 4-H Clubs. Volunteers like Dr. Ann give so much time and energy to the youth it is difficult to measure. We are grateful to Dr. Ann for her ongoing support and involvement and look forward to working with her for years to come,” stated Margaret Larson, Extension Director for Jo Daviess, Stephenson, and Winnebago Counties.
Illinois 4-H programs in Stephenson County reach nearly 700 youth each year through 4-H clubs, camps, educational programs, and workshops held in communities, schools, parks, and homes. Volunteers, like Dr. Ann, fill key leadership and mentoring roles that provide positive youth development for our youth here in Stephenson County.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.