Tyler Cheely became the new 4-H program director for the Texas 4-H Conference Center on Lake Brownwood as of March 13.
The Texas 4-H Conference Center is owned by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, which also administers the Texas 4-H program. The 78-acre conference and retreat facility hosts a variety of summer youth camps and, during the remainder of the year, is available for corporate meetings, team-building workshops, family and class reunions, and other gatherings.
“I’m looking forward to putting my education, previous experience and managerial and leadership skills to work as the 4-H program director,” Cheely said. “My emphasis will be on not only the existing youth summer camps but also developing new camps for additional youth experiences. In my experience as a camp counselor and with summer programs as well as through some of the courses I took toward my biology degree, I learned the value and efficacy of hands-on instruction. I’m excited to be here in Brownwood and to have the opportunity to share my knowledge and experiences with Texas 4-H youth.”
Prior to coming to Texas, Cheely was the events coordinator at Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center within the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest located near Appomattox, Virginia. In that role, he was responsible for recruiting, accommodating and retaining user groups for retreats and conferences. His other responsibilities included administration, budget management, marketing, and program coordination, preparation and implementation.
Before becoming the events coordinator, Cheely was a summer program staff member at the Holiday Lake center. His responsibilities in that capacity included programming for and instruction of youth ages 9-13.
“Tyler was a 4-H member in Virginia and participated in shooting sports,” said Texas 4-H Conference Center director Melvin Atkinson. “He was heavily involved in 4-H camp as a teen camp counselor and summer program staffer for six years. We felt his personality coupled with his educational background and work experience made him the logical choice for the program coordinator position.”
Cheely earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from James Madison University. He also has certifications as:
- Low challenge facilitator.
- High ropes facilitator.
- Level 2 4-H archery instructor.
- Level 1 4-H shotgun instructor.
- American Red Cross first aid/CPR
- American Red Cross lifeguard.
He recently completed Level 1 ropes course certification as part of his skills development for the new position.
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