Georgia 4-H’ers elected nine new individuals to represent them on the Georgia 4-H State Board of Directors during the recent State 4-H Council.
Candidates outlined their qualifications for office, answered extemporaneous questions and campaigned throughout the weekend event.
Each county across the state sent high school 4-H members as their voting representatives. These youth elected a president, vice president, three at-large state representatives and a representative from each of the four districts in the state.
Sophia Rodriguez, a rising 11th-grade student at Bradwell Institute, was elected as the 2016-17 Georgia 4-H State Board of Directors vice president. Rodriguez received the second-highest number of votes of any candidate.
She joined 4-H in sixth grade and has had numerous county and district-wide leadership roles, including serving as the president of Southeast District 4-H this past year.
Additionally, Rodriguez was one of five Georgia 4-H youth selected to attend the National 4-H Conference in April in Washington. She is also a Master 4-H’er.
Rodriguez and the other new board members will be installed into office at the Leadership Banquet at State 4-H Congress on Tuesday, and their terms of office will begin Aug. 1. They will attend State Officer Training in just a few weeks, where they will meet with 4-H Foundation donors and other supporters.