Longtime 4-H volunteer, extension retiree Judy Riley accepted into National 4-H Hall of Fame
April 28, 2026
By Rebekah Hall
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- Judy Riley, dedicated 4-H volunteer, accepted into 2026 National 4-H Hall of Fame
- 14-16 4-H volunteers, extension professionals chosen each year
- Riley is former FCS agent, staff chair and associate district director
(1,100 words)
Download photo of Riley at Arkansas 4-H Foundation Board meeting
LITTLE ROCK — Though she admits that few occasions render her at a loss for words, Judy Riley said she was “completely speechless” when she learned of her acceptance in the 2026 National 4-H Hall of Fame.
The Arkansas 4-H Foundation Board surprised Riley with the news at a recent meeting. The induction ceremony for the Hall of Fame is scheduled for Oct. 26 in Kansas City, Missouri. Darlene Millard and Mike Klumpp, both National 4-H Hall of Fame inductees themselves and former extension colleagues of Riley, said Riley’s lifetime commitment to the 4-H program makes her an ideal fit for the Hall of Fame.
“The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture could not have a more staunch supporter than Judy Riley,” Millard said. “4-H functions because of volunteers like Judy, and it continues to be the program that it is because of people like her. This honor is extremely well deserved.”
Each year, 4-H programs throughout the country can nominate one person for the National 4-H Hall of Fame, and 14-16 honorees are chosen for each class.
“I judged the pool of nominations for a couple of years, and all the applicants are so good in different kinds of ways — the competition is fierce every year,” Millard said. “So, to be named in the 2026 class, that speaks so highly of Judy.”
Klumpp said Riley “truly believes in the extension 4-H program, and our extension mission as well — delivering quality educational programs to all clientele across the state of Arkansas.”
“Judy has a passion for working with people and making sure we provide them with the best opportunities for families and their kids, socially and economically,” Klumpp said.
Lifetime love for 4-H
Riley said she is a product of Arkansas 4-H, and that if it hadn’t been for the program, “I probably would have had a completely different career and skill set.”
“Part of the success I’ve had in my career has been because of how 4-H helped me develop,” Riley said. “There’s nothing you can get your kids involved in that pays dividends for the rest of their lives the way 4-H does.”
Riley was a member of Washington County 4-H as a youth, where her parents were also actively involved in extension programs. In 1963, Riley was the state 4-H project winner in home improvement and represented Arkansas at the national 4-H Club Congress in Chicago. She served as district 4-H vice president and was a delegate to 4-H Citizenship Washington Focus.
Riley also helped her father raise pigs and said her “claim to fame” was a Grand Champion Hampshire hog in the Washington County Fair.
4-H helped Riley get out of her “introverted shell,” she said.
“It made me take initiative to meet people, to introduce myself,” she said. “It broadened my knowledge of the state and the country. I’d never been to Washington, D.C. before or stayed at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago before. I had a lot of experiences that taught me more about culture and other people.”
“We grow strong, engaged 4-H alumni who truly understand the value and importance of 4-H to Arkansas,” said Debbie Nistler, assistant vice president of 4-H and youth development for the Division of Agriculture. “Judy has spent her career and beyond ensuring that 4-H stays strong and impactful for youth across the state.”
“Judy is a shining example of what we hopefully do through the 4-H program, and that is to help shape people into being the kind of adult that Judy is,” Millard said. “She exemplifies the 4-H pledge in that she is always trying to make the best better.”
Extension career
Riley started her career in 1971 as a family and consumer sciences county extension agent in Bowie County, Texas. In 1975, she moved to Miller County, Arkansas, where she worked until moving to White County in 1980. In 1994, Riley became staff chair for the White County Extension office, serving in that role until 2002, when she became the associate district director for the Delta District. She held that position until her retirement in 2008.
Throughout her extension career, Riley said she witnessed firsthand the benefits that 4-H can provide to young people as they navigate the challenges of growing up.
“Good county agents and other adult leaders see a spark in the kids, and they encourage them in the right direction, whatever their interests are,” Riley said. “I watched kids who were terrified to do most anything, who were hiding behind their mother’s apron strings, blossom into confident people because these leaders believed in them.”
“If there’s a part of extension that sells itself, it’s the work with youth,” she said. “To see these wholesome kids learning, becoming greater than they ever thought they could be, developing the skills they need and the discipline to succeed when they go into the world — it’s incredible.”
Millard said Riley’s impact on her fellow extension professionals was profound.
“Her leadership skills are just unbelievable,” Millard said. “If you talked to the people who worked for Judy, most of them would cut off their right arm for her. She is always a cheerleader for other agents and extension professionals. If you’ve got Judy Riley in your corner, you’ve got a lot.”
Passion for volunteering
After retiring from extension in 2008, Riley worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Central Arkansas for seven years. She joined the Arkansas 4-H State Foundation Board in 2013 and has served as board treasurer for the past nine years, overseeing an annual budget of $2.3 million and assets of more than $11 million.
In 2021, Riley helped create “Dinner at the Vines,” a fundraising event to benefit the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center and the Arkansas 4-H program. The annual event has since raised more than $360,000.
“Riley’s steadfast commitment to the 4-H program, especially her work organizing and overseeing events like this, has significantly influenced thousands of young people and adults in Arkansas and beyond who take part in educational programs at the Vines Center,” said Klumpp.
“Judy truly understands the importance of 4-H in local communities,” Nistler said. “She has continued to look for ways to provide opportunities for youth to engage in 4-H, grow skills and continue that engagement into adulthood. She has brought young alumni onto the state foundation board and helps them get excited about applying what they learned in 4-H to the generations that followed.
“She looks beyond the moment and tries to engage in volunteer efforts that will have a lasting impact,” Nistler said. “Her efforts are reflective of a lifetime of service to others.”
Visit 4h.uada.edu to learn more about the Arkansas 4-H program and learn more about the National 4-H Hall of Fame on the organization’s website. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
# # #
Media Contact:
Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
501-671-2061