July 31, 2018
Jepsen and Mullins Join Kansas 4-H Youth Development
Kansas State University’s Department of 4-H Youth Development will welcome two new team members on August 23: Anissa Jepsen and Chris Mullins.
Jepsen will serve as a new instructor responsible for growing the content areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and natural resources as well as building volunteer engagement in the following contexts: after school, military, and shooting sports education, one of Kansas 4-H’s fastest-growing youth interest areas. She will also lead the new Kansas 4-H Science of Agriculture initiative.
Mullins will be the 4-H Youth Development program’s new program coordinator with responsibilities for statewide volunteer screening processes, and event and program logistics related to military youth and shooting sports education.
“I am very excited to work with Anissa and Chris in growing 4-H programming and volunteer development in STEM and Natural Resource areas,” said Wade Weber, state 4-H program leader. “They both bring a wealth of knowledge and experience as successful developers of people and programs to Kansas 4-H. They both will serve significant roles in growing our abilities to lead STEM and Natural resource programming efforts that create dynamic pathways of learning for youth and volunteers that will strengthen local 4-H experiences."
Jepsen earned a master’s in organizational psychology and bachelor’s degree in human resources from Capella University. She also holds a nonprofit management certification from Iowa Lakes Community College.
She brings a wealth of hands-on experience and knowledge in youth and volunteer development. She has successfully grown volunteer engagement and partnership opportunities for Girl Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri as a training and volunteer manager for the past three years.
Her previous roles included project management/insurance specialist for P1 Group, Inc. in Lawrence and five years’ experience as the associate director of youth programming with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Clay County (Iowa).
She worked with 4-H community, project and SPIN clubs to engage volunteers from new audiences, initiated school-based programming and developed new marketing products to support more than 500 hours of educational content delivery annually. She supervised over 50 high-content 4-H events during the nine days of the Clay County Fair (the largest county fair in Iowa) each year, hosting more than 800 youth exhibitors from 46 counties in two states, in partnership with 350 volunteers.
Mullins earned a master’s in horticulture/environmental education and a bachelor’s degree in parks management/wildlife conservation from K-State.
His list of professional accomplishments includes teaching and mentoring multiple age levels from grade school to grad school in subject such as special events, recreational programs and nature classes.
Having a strong background in partnership development, he has worked with soldiers, families and civilians on Fort Riley as well as individuals in many communities.
His coaching history includes a program called Ready, Set, Run; nature camps; and service on the Hutchinson Recreation Commission. He has provided leadership and training on tree data, taught nature classes and supervised fields in the Kansas State Agronomy Department as a graduate teaching assistant.
To learn more about Kansas 4-H, visit www.ksre.k-state.edu/4h-youth/.