4-H agent Rachel Pienta announced that Wakulla 4-H will honor the 2025 Volunteer of the Year and Business/Organization of the Year nominees at the Clover Gala on January 29, 2026. Pienta said, “Each year, we ask the community to nominate individuals and groups that they see supporting 4-H positive youth development programming in Wakulla County.”
Volunteer of the Year Nominees
This year’s nominees for Volunteer of the Year are:
Jennifer Counce: Jennifer Counce has three children enrolled in 4-H, leads 4-H clubs, and volunteers at numerous 4-H programs.
Jim Davis: Jim Davis has grandchildren enrolled in 4-H, supports 4-H with time and resources, and mentors 4-H youth interested in environmental conservation through his work with Keep Wakulla County Beautiful.
Novella Franklin: Novella Franklin serves on the Wakulla 4-H Advisory Council and volunteers with numerous 4-H programs.
Desiree Mosley: Desiree Mosley began her involvement as a 4-H mom and continued her service after her son graduated. She serves on the 4-H Advisory Council, as well as volunteering with 4-H clubs and numerous programs.
Amanda Murphy-Gruebel: Amanda Murphy-Gruebel is a 4-H mom. She serves on the 4-H Advisory Council and leads multiple 4-H clubs. Murphy-Gruebel was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year at the 2025 Clover Gala.
Mike Pearson: Mike Pearson raised three 4-H alumni. He has coached 4-H shooting sports programs in South Carolina and in Wakulla County. In 2025, the Wakulla 4-H Sharpshooters shotgun team placed third at state and one member qualified for and represented the National Shooting Sports Competition in Nebraska. He often volunteers behind the scenes, supporting multiple 4-H programs.
Karen Zak: Karen Zak is a 4-H parent with four children enrolled in the program. She also co-leads a 4-H club and serves on the 4-H Advisory Council. She supports multiple 4-H programs throughout the year.
Business/Organization of the Year Nominees
The Business/Organization of the Year nominees are:
City of Sopchoppy: The City of Sopchoppy invites Wakulla 4-H to present to commissioners each fall. This opportunity provides youth with the opportunity talk about 4-H programming. The commissioners support Wakulla 4-H as an annual sponsor.
Friends of the Wakulla County Library: The Friends of Wakulla County Library partner with Wakulla 4-H to host the annual Wakulla Wonderful event. Members volunteer on the planning committee. The 40-foot History Walk Timeline was sponsored by the Friends and built by Library staff and volunteers.
Keep Wakulla County Beautiful: Keep Wakulla County Beautiful has partnered with Wakulla 4-H on numerous service projects and supports 4-H with an annual sponsorship. Keep Wakulla County Beautiful was last year’s Business/Organization of the Year.
Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce: The Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce partners with Wakulla 4-H to host historical tours during the Wakulla Wonderful celebration. Numerous Chamber members volunteer with 4-H and support the program with annual sponsorships.
Wakulla County Coalition for Youth: The Wakulla County Coalition for Youth partners with 4-H to support the Future Leaders of Wakulla club as well as numerous service projects. The Wakulla County Coalition for Youth has supported 4-H with resource investments, including a purchase of equipment for the 4-H Skateboarding Club.
Clover Gala Information
The 2025 Volunteer of the Year and Business/Organization of the Year nominees will be recognized at the Wakulla 4-H Clover Gala hosted by the Lodge at Wakulla Springs on Thursday, January 29, 2026. The event features a delicious buffet dinner, a silent auction, awards program, wine toss game, and professional photography. Proceeds from the Clover Gala support 4-H programming.
What: Clover Gala with silent auction, dinner, award program, and dancing.
Time: 5:30 – 9:30 PM
Date: January 29, 2026
Location: Wakulla Springs Lodge
Suggested Attire: Formal
Ticket Cost: $75 individual/full table $800/half table $400
Ticket sales are open!
https://tinyurl.com/WakullaCloverGala26
Pienta said, “We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our sponsors. Without their support, we would not be able to support all the amazing experiences that these community investments make possible for local youth.”
Wakulla 4-H Annual Sponsors
The 2025-2026 Wakulla 4-H sponsors are:
| Air Con of Wakulla |
| Campus USA Credit Union |
| City of Sopchoppy |
| Crawfordville Chiropractic Clinic |
| Crawfordville Lions Club |
| Dewberry Engineers Inc |
| Farm Credit of NW Florida |
| Forgotten Coast Animal Hospital |
| Kiersten Smith |
| Keep Wakulla County Beautiful |
| Lee Trailer Sales |
| North Florida Lawn & Tree |
| Operation Wakulla |
| Prime Meridian |
| Richard Myrhe |
| Talquin Electric |
| Taylor Accounting |
| Wakulla County Farm Bureau |
| Wakulla Inn & Suites |
| Waypoint Properties |
| Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office |
| William and Peggy Tartt |
In addition to financial sponsors, local businesses also support Wakulla 4-H with in-kind donations. Special thanks to the Lodge at Wakulla Springs, the Wakulla Sun, Tractor Supply, Barn’s Spirits, and Lamar Advertising for their support of 4-H programs. The list of supporters is updated throughout the year. Additional sponsor opportunities are available. Please reach out to Rachel Pienta at r.pienta@ufl.edu or 850-926-3931.
Community Support Impact
Support provided through volunteer hours and sponsor donations helps the Wakulla 4-H program to provide opportunities for youth to explore sparks that lead to successful careers, lifelong civic engagement, & community service. In 2025, community support helped youth experience success beyond the club meeting setting in a variety of ways.
Youth engaged in the shooting sports program competed in the State Shooting Sports contest. The senior team placed third at the state competition. One youth qualified for the national team and represented Florida 4-H at the National Shooting Sports Contest in Nebraska.
Two 4-H members involved in the poultry science program raised chickens for the NW District show. One youth raised a Polish hen that won Grand Reserve Champion.
Five youth involved in the equine science program competed in the Area North Horse Show. Two members qualified for the State Horse Show and competed in Tampa.
A team of youth planned and implemented a Community Pride service project to preserve and celebrate Wakulla history through interviews and photos. The project was recognized at the annual 4-H University awards program as a top three project for the state.
One 4-H member presented an illustrated talk on money management at 4-H University, placing first in the state.
42 Wakulla 4-H members submitted a combined total of 120 North Florida Fair art and project exhibits. These entries brought home 87 first place blue ribbons, 19 second place red ribbons, and 2 third place white ribbons. Four of the entries earned the prestigious “best of show” purple Award of Merit ribbons.
Eleven youth represented Wakulla 4-H in the NW District Food Challenge competition. The senior team placed 4th, the intermediate team placed 1st, and the junior team placed 2nd. The intermediate team will represent the NW District at the state contest during the State Fair in Tampa in February 2026.
Wakulla 4-H members competed in archery contests, grilled in the NW District Tailgating contest, recorded award winning podcast episodes, and made a difference in the community through multiple service projects. Volunteers spent hundreds of hours supporting helping youth learn and master new life skills. Community sponsors supported youth and volunteer activities through their financial and in-kind investments. Donor generosity helped purchase supplies, fund entry fees, and offset travel expenses. Support provided by Wakulla County community members helped youth pursue sparks to learn new skills and achieve success in multiple ways, preparing them for adulthood and future careers.
Wakulla 4-H is a UF/IFAS Extension program. Extension is an Equal Opportunity Institution. For more information about 4-H or other Extension programs, please reach out to Wakulla County Extension at 850-926-3931.
Additional Resources
Long-term Outcomes of Early Adult 4-H Alumni
The Value of 4-H in Florida and Beyond
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