Jennifer Sirangelo Begins New Year as Chief Executive Officer of National 4-H Council

CHEVY CHASE, Md., Jan. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Jennifer Sirangelo became the first woman to serve as president and CEO of National 4-H Council on January 1, 2014. Ms. Sirangelo joined Council in 2006 and most recently served as executive vice president and chief operating officer. She succeeds Donald T. Floyd, Jr. who retired as CEO in December 2013 after 22 years with National 4-H Council, 13 years as CEO.

"I am thrilled to work with Jennifer as we begin our new roles in 4-H leadership," said Alison Lewis who was elected in December to serve as the first chairwoman of National 4-H Council's Board of Trustees, and who also serves as global chief marketing officer for Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies. "Jennifer's passion for the 4-H mission will serve as an important catalyst to help grow 4-H so that even more young people can participate in 4-H programs and make a positive impact in their communities across the U.S. and around the world."

4-H is one of the largest youth development programs in the world, with 7 million youth participants, 540,000 volunteer mentors, 3,500 professionals and more than 60 million alumni. Council is the nonprofit partner of 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture at the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. 4-H programs are implemented by more than 100 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension System locally through 3,100 extension offices. 4-H programs are present in every county in the U.S. and countless communities around the world.

National 4-H Council works to secure financial support for a powerful network of public and private partners and make clear its significant impact on positive youth development. The Council also operates the National 4-H Youth Conference Center located outside Washington, D.C. Sirangelo's appointment to serve as Council's president and CEO comes as Council launches an aggressive effort to expand 4-H programs and help meet demand.

"Every day, I meet or learn about young people who are tackling issues that matter most and are engaged in 4-H programs focused on science, healthy living, food security and citizenship," said Sirangelo. "The 4-H experience is unparalleled and life-changing. My pledge is to work to bring the 4-H story to new partners, so that we can work together to grow 4-H and invest in young people—our world's greatest resource."

A ten-year longitudinal study conducted by Tufts University, The Positive Development of Youth: Comprehensive Findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, released in December, shows that the 4-H experience is transformational. The study found that 4-H youth are two times more likely than their peers to make healthy choices and study science. 4-H'ers are also more civically active and understand the value of giving back, with the study finding that young people involved with 4-H are four times more likely to contribute to their communities.

In her seven years serving National 4-H Council, Sirangelo more than tripled annual fundraising and led the process to develop the organization's new strategic plan.

Before joining National 4-H Council, Sirangelo was regional vice president for Boys & Girls Clubs of America where she was responsible for board development and fundraising strategy in 11 northeastern states. She also served as the vice president of marketing and development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City. Prior to her work with Boys & Girls Clubs, Sirangelo worked in development for William Jewell College and the National Kidney Foundation.

Sirangelo grew up in Missouri and is an aunt to two members of the KC Explorers 4-H Club in Kansas City, Missouri. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and political science from William Jewell College, a Master of Public Administration degree from Syracuse University, and attended St. Peter's College at Oxford University. As an undergraduate, Sirangelo was recognized as a Harry S. Truman Scholar.

About 4-H
4-H is a community of seven million young people around the world learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In the United States,
4-H programs are implemented by 109 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension through more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, 4-H programs operate through independent, country-led organizations in more than 50 countries.

Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4-H and Twitter at https://twitter.com/4H.

SOURCE National 4-H Council