After 12 years as a 4-H member and a summer 4-H Agent Internship, Mary Kaye became Waukesha 4-H Home Economist and later Rock County 4-H Agent in WI. She assisted in the creation of the UW academic Department of Youth Development. She served as Texas 4-H Specialist and as District Supervisor for Home Economics and 4-H, assisting in the merger of staff and programs of the 1862 and 1890 Land Grant Universities. As part of the Program Division of the National 4-H Council from 1978-1986, she helped move the National 4-H Service Committee from Chicago to National 4- H Council. She provided leadership for national youth, volunteer and staff training and coordinated the National 4-H Awards programs and National 4-H Congress from 1980-1985. From 1987-2001,
Mary Kaye served as Executive Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County, NY. There she supervised 18 Extension Agents, 25 program assistants and 10 support staff and managed a 50+ acre 4-H camp. While there the county program and annual budget grew from $600,000 to $4.95 million. She served on the committee to establish National 4-H Urban Programs. After retirement in 2001 she returned to Wisconsin and serves on the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation Board, co-chaired the History Committee for the Wisconsin 4-H Centennial and is a citizen member of the Walworth County Board of supervisors’ Extension Education Committee. She continues leadership in her community, church, alma mater, county and state groups.
