The National Association of Agricultural Educators, Inc.

300 Garrigus Building Lexington, KY 40546-0215 

News Release

For More Information:
Julie Fritsch, Communications/Marketing Coordinator

Phone: (859) 257-2224Fax: (859) 323-3919

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – DECEMBER 2007

Kurt MurraySelected for National Agricultural EducationService Award

LAS VEGAS –Kurt Murrayof Stillwater, Oklahoma is one of six individuals who received the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Outstanding Service CitationAward on December 14th at the NAAE annual conference in Las Vegas.
Murray served as an agricultural educator for ten years in Burlington, Oklahoma, where the Burlington FFA program flourished as one of the top in the state. For the past seven years he has been the Southwest District Program Specialist in the Oklahoma State Agricultural Education office, and also currently serves as the state FFA Alumni Advisor.

Larry Long, nominator of the award, was first introduced to Murray 15 years ago when they attended an Oklahoma Agricultural Education Leadership class together. Long was initially impressed with Murray’s energetic, honest, and conscientious personality.

“Perhaps I have been most impressed by his caring attitude and the compassion he has for all the teachers in his district,” said Long. “Mr. Murray works extremely hard to see that every teacher has a chance to succeed. He is an outstanding mentor to the young teachers and will extend every effort to help any and all teachers in his district.”

Murray is diligent in his work, spending numerous hours helping at livestock shows, Career Development Events, alumni camps, alumni auctions, conventions, and wherever he is needed. He has brought hundreds of Oklahoma FFA members to the Washington Leadership Conference and works four weeks at the Oklahoma FFA Alumni Camp each year. Murray also gives much of his time at the National FFA Convention as a mentor of the National FFA Alumni Board.

As an FFA advisor, Murray guided the Burlington chapter in its many accomplishments, including 44 State Degree recipients, 20 American Degree recipients, 12 state proficiency award winners, 4 state public speaking winners, and several state winning judging and parliamentary procedure teams. In 2003, he earned his Honorary American FFA Degree and has received many other honors from various groups involved with agricultural education. Murray’s continuous service to a variety of professional organizations and his local community shows his enduring commitment to service in agricultural education.

Animal Industry Alliancesponsors the Outstanding Service Citation Award. NAAE is the professional association for agricultural educators. The mission of NAAE is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.” The NAAE office is located on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, Kentucky.

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