By Gari Voss
4-H has developed thousands of leaders, and one is Dian Liepe. Dian has a rich history with Michigan 4-H that began when she was a 4-H participant. What she experienced through her youth and teen years was expanded when she graduated from Michigan State University and decided to accept the program assistant position with the Cheboygan County 4-H in 1977.
On Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, Dian Liep will be given a Retirement Open House in the Zimmerman Room at the from 1:00-5:00 at the Allegan County Human Services Building Zimmerman Room, 3255 122nd Ave. A special presentation will be made at 4pm.
“I grew up in Allegan, so the Cheboygan program assistant position was the first time I lived away from home. It was a smaller program than Allegan County, but the area was very 4-H friendly. The livestock sale was held on the grandstand. The 4-H kids paid a fee of 25 cents that allowed them to get into the fair all week. I put my time into the position, and we had many fine experiences. After 6 years, it was a big decision to return home in 1983 and help my uncle on the farm.”
In 1984, Liepe decided to apply for the program assistant position with the Allegan County 4-H. At that time, 4-H was extremely popular with rural and city youth, and many adults stepped forward to be leaders for all variety of projects.
“When I went to work at the Allegan County 4-H office, we had 11-14 employees in the office which occupied the second floor of the County Annex Building on Chestnut Street then we took over the entire building. There were 2.5 4-H staff plus support staff. We coordinated over 1500 4-H members plus leaders in about 50 clubs.”
Liepe spent time recruiting leaders and youth and felt extremely fortunate to have time to develop school programs. In the late 80s-90s, Dian took the Snacking Healthy program into the schools. This was combined with What’s on Your Plate for K-3. The total program was offered to 4th and 5th graders.
“Each year I worked with about 5000 kids in the school programs and went into each classroom 4-5 times. This was before the Family Nutrition program that was offered but only in schools that met the socio-economic criteria,” reflected Liepe.
Though her work with Snacking Healthy decreased, Liepe did not want to spend all of her time with just bookkeeping. In the late 1990s, she began the Ground Water program. The focus of the 4-5 lessons was to teach students about the importance of groundwater – how it works and the things that can contaminate it. Again, Liepe could go into school and have a positive impact on student learning.
“The groundwater program was so popular that I was receiving requests from around the U.S. for the program,” explained Liepe. “It was exciting to see it expand.”
What the school programs accomplished was beyond just the lessons on healthy eating or groundwater, but allowed Liepe to introduce students to 4-H.
“Some people think that 4-H is only for farm kids, but city/urban clubs are extremely productive. The goal is to develop life and leadership skills,” stated Liepe. “It was not until recently that one 4-Her shared his about making career moves. He attributed his success to the lessons he learned when he was a 4-H member. There are hundreds of stories very much like this one.”
In 2012, Dian decided to apply for and accept the MSU Extension Program Coordinator position. Several counties were looking to fill this position, but Liepe was only interested in the Allegan area. Upon accepting the position, she moved from being an Allegan County employee to becoming a Michigan State University employee.
As Liepe reflected back over the years, the name Jan Brinn often came to the foreground. Liepe and Brinn worked hand-in-hand on programs. Brinn still does some programs in the schools, but life has changed.
Currently, only 400-500 youth participate in the 29 Allegan County 4-H clubs. Without the school programs, fewer kids hear about 4-H and its many activities. Members have their regular club meetings, then there are Exploration Days where they travel to the MSU campus and participate in workshops. Beyond that, youth and teens can attend gatherings at the 4-H headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland and learn about the history and politics around Washington, DC. There are even opportunities to travel overseas and participate in exchange programs.
“4-H is coming back,” emphasized Liepe. “We get more requests for club leaders and kids who want to participate in 4-H.”
Over the last 45 years, Dian has adjusted to many changes. One of the greatest is the reduction in “bookkeeping” because of technology. The County office can work with adults and youth, but registration and paperwork are done electronically directly with MSU. Therefore, few support staff are required.
Liep quipped, “When I took my first position with 4-H, I was the youngest staff member, 26, in the Allegan office. Now, I am the oldest. The organization is in a constant state of change to make things run smoother. The key is flexibility – the ability to accept changes and share constructive ideas that will improve the process and the organization.”
In the end, Liepe firmly believes that the 4H program still does youth development and teaches life skills. It is not all about animals. Remembering the person with the success story, Liepe explained that as a 4-Her, he did art and received Best of Show; he went to Exploration Days at MSU and found he was a sharpshooter; that took him to the navy where he was in charge of all guns on ship plus he created a manual that is still used by seamen; then he worked for a recruiting office and was a coach for the U.S. Olympic Shooting Sports team; now, he keeps up with line drawings for Frontier. It all began with an art project for 4-H.
Liepe grew up in 4-H and continues to love her animals at home. She has already started the process of becoming a 4-H volunteer so she can continue her work as a resource leader in the Glenn School’s after-school 4-H club.
As Dian moves into retirement, she acknowledges, “I have to prioritize differently and set goals. I need to give more time to my husband and will take time with my mom. I have set dates for cleaning out my house. The first Yard Sale will be Memorial Day, the next Independence Day, and hopefully, the last on Labor Day.”
Along with responsibilities in the Allegan County 4-H and MSU Extension office, Liepe has volunteered time to take leadership positions. Her above and beyond efforts were recognized on Sept. 30, 2023, when she and 11 others were inducted into the 2022 class of the Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society provided by Michigan 4-H Youth Development with support from the Michigan 4-H Foundation.
“The Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society honors former Michigan 4-H members whose professional leadership and community service reflect the ultimate outcome of 4-H membership – extraordinary use of an individual’s head, heart, hands, and health to make communities, the country and the world better places in which to live. This recognition is provided by Michigan 4-H Youth Development with support from the Michigan 4-H Foundation.”
As Liepe prepares to “work without a schedule and not have to drive in snow storms,” she will be remembered by her colleagues as “an incredible asset to the 4-H community in Michigan”.
“We are eternally grateful for the time she has already given over the past 45 years, and the time she will continue to give,” summed up Kellie Kieren, MSUE 4-H Supervising Educator, District 7.