The North Dakota 4-H Foundation’s board of directors has seven new members.

They are Lyndon Anderson, Deb Clarys, Kayla Effertz Kleven, Julie Elijah-Barker, Deb Lee, Karla Meikle and Rebecca Peterson.

The North Dakota 4-H Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to supporting 4-H programs with private funds to further leadership development, education, research and scholarships, and create opportunities for North Dakota youth.

Anderson is communications leader for Great River Energy, where he provides communications support for the generation and business development divisions in North Dakota and Minnesota. His previous positions included director of communications for the Lignite Energy Council and editor of Farm & Ranch Guide.

During his youth, Anderson was a member of the Prairie Pals 4-H Club near Baldwin and participated in numerous activities, including livestock, land and crops judging, and hog showmanship. He also attended the National 4-H Congress in Chicago in 1976 and was a delegate and three-time state speech and demonstration contest participant at the state 4-H conference in Fargo.

Anderson received his B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics, with a minor in Communications and an emphasis in journalism, from North Dakota State University in 1982. Anderson and his wife, Linda, live in Bismarck and have two children.

Clarys serves on the Oliver County Fair Board, Natural Resources Conservation Service Work Group and Designer Genes board. She was raised on a family farm east of Bismarck.

She graduated from the University of Mary in Bismarck and began her bank and lending career at the Bank of North Dakota. She later moved to the Grant County State Bank in Carson and most recently to Security First Bank of North Dakota in Center. Clarys and her husband, John, own and manage several rental apartment buildings and a construction company, Trinity Carpentry.

Kleven grew up on a farm near Velva and was active in 4-H. She earned a B.B.A. degree in Marketing, a B.A. in Communication and, in 2007, an M.A. in Educational Leadership from the University of North Dakota.

Kleven is a senior policy adviser in the North Dakota governor’s office. Prior to that, she worked as the youth office manager at the North Dakota Department of Commerce, where she implemented the Operation Intern grant program and promoted North Dakota careers to students. She married Craig Kleven in August 2015 and is the stepmother of two 4-H’ers.

Elijah-Barker was a 4-H member during her youth, a 4-H sponsor prior to having children, a co-leader of her son’s 4-H club and a judge at 4-H events. She also has served on the Ransom County Fair Board for 10 years. She is branch manager at Dakota Plains Credit Union in Enderlin.

She and her husband, Tony, live in Ransom County and raise Simmental and SimAngus seedstock cattle. They have two children.

Elijah-Barker says she looks forward to serving on the North Dakota 4-H Foundation board because ensuring that 4-H will be as strong for the next generation as it is now and was when she was a child is important to her.

Lee grew up on a dairy farm near Walcott and was in 4-H in Richland County for 10 years. She has been the family and consumer science agent for the NDSU Extension Service in Ransom County for 26 years and works very closely with the 4-H program.

She and her husband live near Lisbon. They have five children, all of whom participated in 4-H in Ransom County.

“I appreciate all that the 4-H Foundation does for Extension and 4-H, both on the state level and the county level,” she says. “I have been able to see firsthand the benefits that 4-H’ers receive from the programs that are sponsored by the foundation. I look forward to being a part of this board and gaining a better understanding of all that the foundation is and does for North Dakota 4-H.”

Meikle, of Bismarck, has been NDSU Extension’s 4-H youth development agent for Morton County since 2009, and worked with the 4-H shooting sports program and North Dakota 4-H Camp. She also was a member of the High Spirits 4-H Club in Stutsman County for 11 years.

“I look forward to building the 4-H program in North Dakota through connections in our local communities and to be an ambassador of the North Dakota 4-H program, sharing the success stories of counties with those who see the potential in our youth as leaders of the future,” she says.

Peterson grew up on the Effertz Key Ranch near Velva in a large family who is very involved in 4-H and the agriculture industry. After graduating from Velva High School, she attended NDSU and received a B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics and Communication. In college, she was active in the Agricultural Economics and Saddle and Sirloin clubs.

She and her husband, Richard, have four children who have been very active in 4-H though their club, county fair, State Fair and 4-H camp, and she has been an active 4-H leader and volunteer for 11 years.

Peterson began an eight-year career with John Deere as an area credit manager and then joined Farm Credit Services of Mandan as director of marketing and services.

NDSU Agriculture Communication - April 15, 2016