About.

Individuals seeking to transfer into the West Virginia 4-H All Stars from another state must notify the organization and pay life member dues. Proof of prior induction, such as a membership card or ceremony program, is required.

Eligible transfers may come from past or present All Star chapters in the following states:

• Maryland (1921)

• Virginia (1922)

• Rhode Island (1928)

• Massachusetts (1929)

• Tennessee (1948)

• Mississippi (1950)

• New Hampshire (1954)

Currently, only West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland have active chapters. Tennessee maintains an All Star membership but is no longer part of the Interstate organization. While New England chapters have been inactive for years, transfers are still be possible.

A native of Taylor County, where he graduated from Grafton High School in 2000.  Chad received a BA in Political Science, a Master of Public Administration, and an MA in Public History - all from West Virginia University.  Chad began working as a faculty member with the WVU Extension Service in 2011 in the Community Resources & Economic Development Program.  In 2012, he joined the West Virginia 4-H faculty as Extension Historian & Archivist, and eventually took on the duties of Operations & Outreach Coordinator at WVU Jackson's Mill.  Chad was inducted as a WV 4-H All Star from Lewis County at OMC in 2016.  He currently works as a 4-H Extension Specialist for Virginia 4-H, and loves interacting with members, volunteers, employees, and fellow All Stars on both sides of the border.

Grew up in Marshall County. He graduated from John Marshall High School in 1990 before heading to WVU, where he obtained a BS in Secondary English Education in 1994. After working in Marshall and Ohio County Schools for three years, Craig moved to Northern Virginia where he was a Client Services Worker and Case Manager with Residential Youth Services. He then attended the University of Virginia for his Master of Teaching in Elementary Education, which allowed him the opportunity of teaching at the American Pacific International School in Chiang Mai, Thailand. After three years abroad, Craig returned to UVA where he earned his PhD in Education. In 2009, he took a job as Assistant Professor at Bloomsburg University of PA [now Commonwealth University of PA - Bloomsburg]. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2014 and Full Professor in 2019 and enjoys his work preparing the next generation of classroom teachers. Craig was inducted into the WV 4-H All Stars at OMC in 1993.

Grew up in Hampshire County, where he graduated from Hampshire High School. He received both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Marshall University in Communication Disorders. Ryan later earned a Post Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership. He has worked for several school districts in WV as a Speech Language Pathologist and Special Education Coordinator. Ryan’s commitment to the youth of WV is not only evident through his service in public education, but also his love of local and state 4-H programming. He participated in 4-H growing up, receiving his All Star pin at OMC in 2010. In 2013, Ryan aged out of consecutive weeks of county camp and OMC, serving as the Mingo chief at both. Currently residing in Hedgesville, Ryan volunteers with both Berkeley and Jefferson County and at the state level as the Dean of Men at OMC. Recently elected as the 2nd Lesser Chief of the WV 4-H All Stars, Ryan looks forward to continuing to empower youth and communities through service.

Locke Wysong, a native of Charles Town, Jefferson County, WV. He earned his BS in Animal and Veterinary Science and a MPA (Public Administration) from West Virginia University. Having grown up on his family farm and also understanding the importance of giving back to one’s community, he began his career in public service as a Regional Representative for WV Governor Bob Wise before running for office and serving as a Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates for Jefferson County’s 58th District. Upon deciding to leave public office, he served as a Regional Representative for WV State Auditor Glen Gainer before transitioning in 2011 to the private sector as a small business owner. For the past 13 years, he has represented American National Insurance Co. as a Multi-Line Agent specializing in Farm/Ag and Commercial insurance. Currently licensed in WV, VA, MD and KY, he has vast experience in the risk management assessments needed to protect his clients for their future success. His years of experience in both agriculture and public service has helped him continue working with his father and sister in running Wysong Farm, a small cow/calf operation, outside of Charles Town. Locke comes from a family of 4-Hers and grew up in the Jefferson Co. 4-H program. Along with his sister, he received his All Star pin as a leader/volunteer at the 2013 AllStar Conference held at Jackson’s Mill. Currently, Locke is in his 25th year as a 4-H volunteer in Jefferson Co. and camp counselor at Tri-County 4-H Camp in Hedgesville. Recently elected as the Scribe of the WV 4-H All Stars, Locke just completed five years as Editor of The Torch. He continues his volunteer service as President of the WVU Jefferson Co. Extension Services Committee, President of the Jefferson Co. 4-H Leaders’ Association and Vice-President of the Jefferson Co. 4-H Foundation. Locke serves as Chairman of the Charles Town Board of Zoning Appeals, a member of the Jefferson Co, Fair Board of Directors and was recently appointed as a member of the of WVU Extension Service Visiting Committee.

Jordan has proudly served as Treasurer of the WV 4-H All Stars for the past four years. As a lifelong 4-Her, he’s deeply involved in both Raleigh County and statewide programs. From counseling at County Camp, Code Camp, and Alpha II to lending a hand at Teen Leader Weekend, Dance Weekend, and other county camps when needed, Jordan is always ready to step in and support 4-H youth. During his college years, he also served as an ECI, continuing his commitment to giving back. Outside of 4-H, Jordan works as the Director of Social Determinants of Health for Aetna Better Health of West Virginia. In this role, he helps improve the lives of Medicaid and foster care members across the state. One of his proudest accomplishments has been creating a scholarship benefit through Aetna that has helped hundreds of kids attend 4-H camps and activities—making sure even more young people get the chance to experience what 4-H has to offer. Jordan credits 4-H with shaping who he is today and is excited to keep giving back to the WV 4-H All Stars.

Laurel Russell followed in her siblings’ footsteps as a Hancock County 4-Her, beginning as a Clover Bud and staying active until 21—living by the motto of “Making the Best Better.” Throughout her 4-H journey, she celebrated many milestones. She earned a county scholarship to attend Alpha I State Camp at Jackson’s Mill, which opened the door to additional state-level events including OMC, Teen Leader Weekend, and Jr & Sr Conservation Camps. In 2000, she represented WV as a delegate to Texas 4-H’s Round-Up, received her All-Star pin in 2002, and served as Seneca Chief at Alpha I in 2003. Today, she lives in Manhattan and works for one of Time Magazine’s Top 100 Venture Capital Firms on the Public Equity team. In her role, she manages relationships with hundreds of contacts, including sell-side bankers, investor relations teams, and healthcare industry executives. Before transitioning into finance, she worked in communications. At Verizon, she supported the Experiential & Sponsorship team on high-profile projects, including the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show, which reached 133.5 million viewers. At Time Warner Cable, she worked in the Marketing Insights & Analytics department, helping to analyze subscriber behaviors and campaign performances across 11 million households. Earlier, at NBC Universal’s Cable Division, she supported the Business Affairs team, liaising with Hollywood agents, production companies, and outside counsel. Her career path has been wide-ranging, and she credits 4-H for instilling the adaptability, resilience, and confidence needed to thrive in any environment. She holds a BFA in Theater Management from Ohio University, though she often says her 4-H experience has been just as important in her lifelong success. While her health requires her to remain in NYC for specialized care, she stays closely connected to her WV roots and to the 4-H community that shaped her. As Membership Chair, she is honored to help others reconnect, share their talents, and give back to today’s youth. She encourages every All-Star to remain engaged—whether through time, mentorship, or resources—because the strength of the program depends on those willing to invest in the next generation, just as others once invested in her.

Elizabeth grew up in Tyler County, and has participated in Girl Scouts, Venturing Scouts of the Boy Scouts of America, and 4-H. Elizabeth earned her 4-H Charting pin in 2012 and 4-H All Star pin in 2014 at Alpha 2. She graduated from Tyler Consolidated High School in 2014, and then took a gap year to determine what the next steps in her life would be. That gap year was spent helping her grandparents and volunteering with them in their community as needed. She attended West Virginia Northern Community College and earned Certificates of Applied Sciences in both Administrative Medical Assisting and Medical Billing and Coding in 2017, and also earned certifications for Certified Administrative Medical Assistant, and Certified Billing and Coding Specialist from the National Healthcareer Association, and Certified Professional Coder, and Certified Outpatient Coder from the American Academy of Professional Coders.  Elizabeth has held many leadership positions with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, where she is an active member.  Elizabeth is currently a Cloverbud Leader and President of Tyler Co. Leader’s Association and the secretary for Tyler Co. Extension Service Committee; in addition to being a Level 1 Certified Shooting Sports instructor in Archery and 4-H camp volunteer on the local county and state levels- all while working full-time as a Medical Coding Specialist for WVUMedicine.

Faith grew up in Raleigh County and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley West Virginia in 2020. After that, Faith moved to Morgantown to attend West Virginia University and study Environmental and Energy Resources Management. While working on the undergraduate degree, Faith was a Resident Assistant, active member of the WVU Collegiate 4-H Club as well as the president during the 2022-2023 academic year. Faith also greatly enjoyed going to WVU basketball games, particularly women's basketball games. A second degree was sought out, a Masters of Science in Energy Environments with a focus on water resources and the flood problem in West Virginia. Faith loved connecting school studies to the 4-H experience by teaching campers about citizen science and helping coordinate the river cleanup service project at annual 4-H adult homecoming weekend. Faith now lives in Cross Lanes, West Virginia and is working with the department of health to ensure drinking water throughout the state is adequate. When presented with free time Faith enjoys chasing waterfalls, walks through town, antique shops, and porch sitting. Faith was inducted into the WV 4-H All Stars with the Class of 2020.