Leah Cox Ritchie was a Michigan 4-H member who served 4-H at many levels. Her career includes serving as a county 4-H youth agent in Tennessee and Florida and Michigan state 4-H program leader. She became deputy administrator for 4-H Youth Development Education at the United States Department of Agriculture in 1989. During her tenure, she presided over the first national 4-H strategic planning conference that involved youth, volunteers and 4-H professionals from across the country. She returned to Michigan State in 1992 to assume the position of assistant vice provost and associate director of Extension.
Before retiring from Michigan State University Extension as associate director emeritus for Children, Youth and Family Programs, she led the merger of family and consumer sciences and 4-H youth development to ensure that MSU Extension was meeting the needs of communities across the lifecycle.
