The 2016-2017 District 5 Council Officers are:
President – Jennings Sanders, Angelina County
1st Vice President – Lee Ellen Pearman, Cherokee County
2nd Vice President – Emily LaRoe, Angelina County
3rd Vice President – Mikayla Davidson, Trinity County
Secretary – Laura Ashley Childress, Henderson County
Public Relations Officer – Claire Burson, Upshur County
Parliamentarian – Audrey Stanley, Smith County
Health & Safety – Christopher Childress, Henderson County
Hi, I’m Jennings Sanders your 2016-2017 District 5 President. I cannot wait for this year with you! I’d like you to know I’m a member just like you that shows beef heifers and market steers and is also active in the photography project. I love to meet new people and I plan to boost the number of participants by getting you excited about 4-H events! Once again I can’t wait for this fantastic year, thank you!
Lee Ellen Pearman is a senior at Alto High School. She is a member of FFA, National Honor Society, Student Council, the varsity golf team, and varsity twirling. She has been a member of 4-H for four years and has served as President and Vice President of her club, Secretary and President of Cherokee County Council, and Secretary of District 5. She has exhibited Beefmaster heifers for nine years and is a member of the Junior Beefmaster Breeders Association. She is a Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador Program and will be attending the Advocacy Academy this year. She plans on conducting more district wide events this year to get more people involved with 4-H. Her future plans are to attend Texas A&M and major in Animal Science, while still promoting 4-H. If there are any questions regarding 4-H, she encourages you to email her at leeellenpearman@gmail.com. She is very excited to serve on Texas 4-H Council this year and representing District 5 as First Vice President.
Hi my name is Emily LaRoe and I am your 2016-2017 2nd Vice President! I have served at both the club and county levels, in many different offices, and can’t wait to serve my first year on district council! Over my nine year 4-H career, I have been a part of the Blue Ribbon 4-H club in Angelina County. I have participated in many different projects. My favorites have included food and nutrition, science, engineering, and technology, and photography. Outside of 4-H I own Emmy Layne Photography, compete in debate, co-edit the yearbook, am Libero for the varsity volleyball team, and play piano. I am also very involved in my church serving others through missions in the summer and assisting with children’s church during the school year. I am ecstatic to serve on district council this year. 4-H has made a monumental impact in my life. By being on council, I want to ensure that this impact continues in the lives of many others. I hope to see District 5 work together more and ultimately make the best better!
Mikayla Davidson is a senior at Apple Springs High School. She serves as a Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador, Apple Springs FFA president, Houston Livestock Show Junior Rodeo Committee, president of the Texas Junior Livestock Association Goat Division, has held district offices in both FFA and 4-H. Being in 4-H for the past 9 years has allowed me to participate in leadership, public speaking, photography, livestock judging, livestock showing and various community service projects. This summer I will travel to Argentina and Uruguay with the Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassadors to study agriculture abroad. Following graduation, I plan to attend Texas A & M University to study Animal Science and apply to Vet School. “The most important things 4-H has given me is the confidence to believe in myself and how to win humbly and lose gracefully.”
Laura Ashley has been in 4-H for the past seven years and loved every moment of it! Her primary focus is the Health category, with the end goal of attending Texas A&M and becoming a trauma surgeon on an Army Forward Surgical team. Throughout her 4-H career she has participated in public speaking, ag ID, plant judging and food challenge at all of Texas’ major shows. She has competed in the food, fashion, photography and public speaking aspects of 4-H and shown goats, rabbits, and chickens. She was honored to represent District 5 and Texas at National 4-H Congress in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also a State 4-H Healthy Lifestyles Ambassador. Outside of 4-H Laura Ashley takes dual credit classes at Trinity Valley community college, works at Gibson Pharmacy, is active in her church’s youth group and volunteers at her local hospital. She recently attended NRECA’s Youth Tour to DC, where she spent nearly two weeks representing Texas and learning about legislature and history on the national level. Laura Ashley feels blessed to represent D-5 as secretary and looks forward to a great year!
My name is Claire Burson, I’m from Upshur County, I’ve been in 4-H for 4 years, and I’m the 2016-2017 Public Relations Officer for District 5. Some of the projects I do include educational presentations, consumer decision making, photography, fashion storyboards, and Technology Team. I play volleyball, run track, powerlift, train in caveman workouts, practice MMA, and run obstacle course races. I’m very ready to represent District 5 to the best of my ability.
Audrey Stanley has been a very active 4-H member for three years and is currently serving as Smith County President and Vice President of her club. Through her participation in 4-H, Audrey has had the opportunity to be involved in various projects such as livestock, photography, wood working, communication and expressive arts, education presentations, and sewing. She is also very active in church and has expressed her passion to help the less fortunate by leading Smith County in an international outreach which provided much needed medical supplies to free clinics throughout Haiti. Audrey wishes to encourage us all to Try More, Do More and Be More because she truly believes that each of us has more potential than we have ever dreamed.
Christopher Childress is a high school junior who has participated in many different projects during his 8-year career in 4-H. Besides District 5 4-H Health & Safety Officer, he serves on the Henderson County 4-H Council as President and is a statewide Rabbit Ambassador. His 4-H projects involve showing animals, public speaking, food & nutrition, Ag Product Id, natural resources, and many community service activities. He recently attended the Heifer International Program as part of the inaugural year of the 4-H GLOBE program. Christopher enjoys teaching about the many opportunities 4-H has to offer and telling others how they can benefit from 4-H as much as he has. If you ever have any questions about 4-H, please feel free to contact him. He is looking forward to serving as your District 5 4-H Health & Safety Officer and making this an exciting 4-H year!