Dr. Reita J. Marks began her 50-year journey with 4-H in 1944 as an award-winning member of the Reese’ Mill 4-H Club located in a rural area near Keyser, W.Va. As a collegiate 4-H member, she held several offices, led many community service projects, and participated in annual 5-state collegiate leadership development conferences. While serving as a guidance counselor in New Jersey, Dr. Marks worked with the Somerset County 4-H agent to organize and lead a 4-H-type service group of young adults. During her 29-year career as a W.Va. State 4-H Specialist, Dr. Marks secured more than $3 M in funding; increased the number of guidance counselors in W.Va.; designed and implemented the W.Va. Cloverbud Program impacting almost 20,000 youths.
In addition, Marks directed 55 weeklong statewide resident camps that impacted 300,000 youths; oversaw annual implementation of 37 county 4-H camps; expanded 4-H to urban and high-risk youths; administered the Summer Food Program for low-income youths that served more than 600,000 meals in 5 years; developed the first-in-the-nation Career Awareness Camps (replicated by other states); created the country’ first 4-H Camping Certification Program that has trained more than 2,300 faculty and 69,000 volunteers; developed a drop-out prevention program that reached 250 high-risk students; and served as superintendent for the State Fair’ Youth Livestock Department and 4-H Exhibit Hall for 29 years.
4-H member and teen leader, Mineral Co., W.Va. (1944-1956); collegiate 4-H member, Shepherd Univ., W.Va. (1952-1956); volunteer leader, Somerville, N.J. (1957-1965); State 4-H Specialist, W.Va. (1965-1994 retirement).
