BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota 4-H recently welcomed Oakley G. Perry as the new Program Manager for 4-H County Operations and Professional Development.
“We are excited to welcome Oakley to the South Dakota 4-H Team!” said Tim Tanner, State 4-H Program Director. “His experiences in both 4-H and as a county administrator will prove vital as he trains 4-H professionals and relates to county government leaders across the state.”
Coming to South Dakota from Jeff Davis County in Georgia, Perry obtained his master’s degree in agriculture extension and education from Utah State University and completed his undergraduate program from the University of Tennessee Knoxville.
Involved in the 4-H program since the fifth grade, Perry knew he wanted to continue to work in 4-H and Extension in his professional career. Previously, Perry was a county administrator in Georgia and a 4-H agent in western Tennessee.
Perry is excited to use his experiences to bring a fresh perspective to South Dakota 4-H. His goal, first and foremost, is to develop a stronger 4-H program for the counties of South Dakota.
To achieve his goal, Perry will work with local governments to invest in local 4-H programs and provide education and resources regarding how 4-H can better serve their communities and counties. Through this role, he will also provide trainings for county extension personnel and county operations teams on professional development.
“I have lived in the south, out west, but not in the Midwest, so that is what drove me to look for opportunities here in South Dakota,” said Perry. “I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone in my new profession.”
Perry grew up on his family’s farm in southern Georgia, where they produced commodities like cotton, tobacco and peanuts. Through his involvement in 4-H, Perry transitioned his interest in agronomy and rural agriculture crops to horticulture and ornamental crops and became a Master 4-H’er for ornamental crops, like fruits, vegetables and nuts. Perry also previously served as the Georgia State 4-H President.
Perry is excited to work with a new group of people and be a part of the journey to continue developing 4-H programs in South Dakota. He can be contacted at Oakley.Perry@sdstate.edu or (605) 688-5614.
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