Earl Ray Gill

While Gill was a 4-H member, he received top project awards and competed in state-level demonstrations.  He also held all club offices possible over his 10 year membership and received county level citizenship and leadership awards. 

“I believe 4-H’s motto, ‘Make the Best Better’ has influenced my life the most,” says Gill.  “Developing skills from projects such as cooking, nutrition, photography, and especially leadership has helped me become a more productive individual who is always looking for ways to make life better for myself as well as those around me.”

As an alumnus, Gill has served on the 4-H Advisory Committee and is the current chair.  For the past 25 years, he has served annually as a judge for county fair 4-H booth entries in Hardee and DeSoto Counties. He has become a valuable contributor to the Hardee County 4-H program due to his extensive 4-H knowledge, training and professional education.  He has guided and directed the development of policies and procedures used in his county’s program. Gill has also re-written and updated criteria for judging record books, as well as the county’s club attendance policy and dress guidelines.

Gill was a teacher in Hardee County for 13 years, a district level administrator for eight years, a teacher in DeSoto County for six years and an Assistant Principal at Nocatee Elementary School for four years.  “I look back on my years in 4-H with pride, knowing that the skills I developed as a club member have strengthened my desire to look for ways to make life better for both myself and my community, whether at work, volunteering, or at church,” Gill says.

The Florida 4-H Hall of Fame was established in 2002 to coincide with the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the 4-H Program.  It currently contains the names of 117 inductees honored for their service and dedication to the Florida 4-H.  One hundred individuals, living and deceased, became charter members during the 2002 founding. Florida 4-H is the youth development component of the University of Florida’s IFAS Cooperative Extension Service currently serving 241,000 youth statewide and over 60 million alumni nationwide.   

The four other 2006 inductees are; H. Fred Dietrich, III of Orange County, Frank Sullivan of Brevard County, Gladys Freeman of Okeechobee County and Marjorie Modesky of Duval County.

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