Greene County native and longtime Greene County 4-H volunteer and advocate Doug Hawn (pictured, right) is the latest Greene County inductee to the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame. During a ceremony held at the Iowa State Fair 4-H Exhibits Building on Aug. 17, Hawn was recognized for his significant contributions to the Greene County 4-H program. The award was presented by Albert Grunenwald (pictured, left), interim CEO of the Iowa 4-H Foundation.
Hawn has served as Greene County Fair board secretary for 32 years. A lifelong 4-H member, he spends hundreds of hours each year in both physical labor and administrative tasks to assure Greene County 4-H members have the best county fair experience possible.
He also regularly donates use of his farm equipment and sound systems each year to county fair efforts, and has personally donated supplies and equipment too numerous to mention. On the technology side, Hawn designed the spreadsheet and databases now used for recording and tracking 4-H exhibits results and the accounting/clerking/settlement for the fair auction. He also prepares the annual report of the county fair for ISU Extension & Outreach – Greene County.
Hawn is instrumental in helping to reduce the cost of the annual 4-H enrollment fee for Greene County 4-H members. Hawn Family Farms is one of four major donors that contribue money to reduce the enrollment fee from $35 to $15 per member.
Recognized as Fairman of the Year in 2012 by the Association of Iowa Fairs, Hawn was also honored with the 2014 Greene County Impact Award for his contributions to the Greene County Fair, the law enforcement center, the Bell Tower Festival, and countless other county events.
The Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame was established in 2002 and is sponsored by the Iowa 4-H Foundation. Counties are allowed one nomination each year to submit names of volunteers, community leaders, and Extension staff members who have exemplified outstanding service and dedication to the 4-H youth program in their county.
To find out more about the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame, including past Greene County inductees, visit www.iowa4hfoundation.org.
