Over the last year the NAEA4-HA Board has been working to gather feedback from the NAE4-HA membership to develop a strategic plan and vision for our association. At the JCEP meeting this February, members were posed with the question, “What’s important to you about NAE4-HA and why do you care?” Many of our colleagues expressed they identify the value of belonging to the NAE4-HA around the development of strong professional network, comradery and friendships.
Personally, I could not agree more and believe a fellow Western Region colleague put it best… “They get my life.” This statement first made me laugh but also made me think about all the great friendships I have developed with colleagues over the last ten years. Many of these friendships were developed while attending an NAE4-HA Conference. Hosting the conference in Oregon greatly accelerated this process too!
This past weekend, a group of 4-H colleagues and I completed a relay race called the Pole Pedal Paddle. The race was six legs which included an alpine skiing/snowboarding, cross-country skiing, biking, running, canoeing/kayaking/stand-up paddle boarding, and a sprint to the finish! Our team name was the “Clover Colleagues” and our team shirts were magical. We plan to make this an annual event. To increase the stakes for next year, we challenged another group of colleagues to compete against us. This group has happily accepted the challenge and, as the “experienced” 4-H colleagues, they are calling their team the “Golden Clover Colleagues.” I look forward to an entire year of spirited conversations and another great weekend of comradery with a group of people who get my life. 😉
Front Row (L-R): Diana Stevens (8 km cross-country skate ski), Melanie McCabe (1/2 sprint) & Samara Rufener (5 mile run)
Back Row (L-R): Jamie Davis (2.5 km stand up paddle board), Karissa Dishon (alpine ski) and Katy Joyce (22 mile bike)
