Barbara K. Cowdery - New Hartford, New York

Cooperative Extension has always been a part of Barbara Cowdery's life, having grown up as a 4-H'er and an "Extension kid" in California, where her dad was best known as a farm advisor and the first state climatologist. People always come first in Barbara Cowdery's world. That how she became involved with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County, where she began her long history as a Cornell Cooperative Extension Volunteer. Because she was such an outstanding volunteer and spoke so knowledgeably about Extension work, the then Director of Extension, Lucinda Noble, tapped her to become involved on the statewide level as a member of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Advisory Council. Director Noble involved Barb in the National Extension Committee for four years, where Barb ultimately became president and took on many roles advocating for Extension in the northeast region and on the national level. In addition, Barb served as a member of the USDA advisory board, the Joint Council on Food and Agricultural Sciences.
For the past 12 years, Barbara has served as a CARET (Council on Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching) representative for Cornell University. She has served as the Northeast CARET chair and as secretary of the National CARET Executive Committee.
When there is a need for a citizen volunteer to speak on behalf of the university or Cooperative Extension, Barb is there, no matter the distance, the hour, or the day of the week. She is always fully prepared with facts, figures, and stories that illustrate the impact of Extension on local communities and the need for funding. In Barb's own words, "I love Extension. I just feel that it is such a valuable organization that feeds and helps so many people. And the goodness that comes from Extension is continuous. As a result, I would do almost anything to support it."

Tiney McComb - Gahanna, Ohio

Tiney McComb has made significant and long-term contributions to the Ohio 4-H Youth Development program. His contributions to the 4-H program far surpass what is normally expected of community leaders. Tiney has always been willing to support the Ohio 4-H's programming and fund-raising efforts. His contributions go beyond the everyday efforts. He is a visionary and actively engages himself to fulfill his vision and that of the 4-H program. Tiney has the ability to take a thought or idea and turn it into a tremendous opportunity for young people and the 4-H program as a whole.
Tiney served as a member of the Ohio 4-H Foundation Board from 1988-1993. As a member of the County Endowment Committee, he made personal visits to counties to explain the advantages to establishing an endowment with The Ohio State University. He also paid to develop a Special Events Fund Raising manual for local professionals to utilize with raising funds for local needs and for count endowments. He has been instrumental in working with the Community Banker Association of Ohio to establish a program with local banks to provide scholarships for older 4-H members to attend Citizenship Washington Focus.
Tiney's active involvement and support of the Ohio 4-H Youth Development program did not end when his term with the foundation ended. He has continued an extraordinarily strong personal and financial commitment up to the present. In 1998, he initiated the idea of a major fund raising event for the Ohio 4-H Master Endowment. As a result, Tiney served as the Chairperson for the first Celebration of Youth that grossed over $200,000. This event has become one of the premier Ohio 4-H events and has raised more than $600,000 for the Master Ohio 4-H Endowment Fund.
Tiney's contribution to 4-H represents an "investment" to make the best better. It is truly an investment that will continue to provide important visibility and financial support for generations to come.

Clara C. Pratt - Corvallis, Oregon

As Head of the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at Oregon State University, children and families are Clara C. Pratt's passion. Evaluation is one of the tools that she uses to gauge the impact of programs designed to help children and families. The Oregon State University Extension Service is fortunate to count Clara Pratt among its friends. She has been generous beyond belief with her time and talent in helping Extension specialists and agents even though she left Extension for research and teaching more than 25 years ago. She regularly consults with Extension agents and specialists about impact evaluation. She developed the templates for an improved evaluation of outreach education for the Extension Family and Community Development program. Pratt also assists with evaluation workshops, grant writing and program development proposals.
Clara Pratt has been a strong advocate for Extension with in the university and the community. In late 2000, she agreed to serve as interim dean of the College of Home Economics during its transition to the new College of Health and Human Sciences. She worked tirelessly with the faculty in both colleges to assure that they understood the Extension program and to assure that in the merger it was not marginalized, but rather embraced as a critical part of the new college's mission and structure. In 2003, she worked with the University Provost to re-design the dossier format for Extension faculty in Family and Community Development who were being considered for promotion and/or tenure. She has encouraged governmental agencies and non-profits groups concerned with children and families to partner with their local Extension offices.
Teacher, scholar, leader are all terms that describe Clara C. Pratt, who has generously shared in knowledge and skills with Extension specialists and agents for more than 25 years. Skilled in evaluation, Pratt has helped Extension faculty show government leaders and others how their programs do make a difference for communities and families.