National Association of Agricultural Educators
Shari Graffunder, agriculture teacher at River Valley High School, in Spring Green, Wisconsin, has been elected the Region III Vice President of the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) at the 2020 NAAE Virtual Convention after her service as NAAE Region III Secretary.
Graff under is in her 25th year of teaching. During her tenure she has been a leader in agricultural education on many levels, including both the National Association of Agricultural Educators and the Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators. As an NAAE member, she served on the National FFA Awards and Recognition Advisory Council for 2015-2018 and has been a member of the NAAE Policy and Bylaws Committee representing Region III for 2019-2021and was the Policy and Bylaws Committee Secretary in 2020-2021. In 2015, Shari participated in NAAE’s National Agriscience Teacher Ambassador Academy. She served as the WAAE president in 2013-2014, the co-chairperson of the Wisconsin Agriscience Inquiry Institute for 2016, the chairperson of the Wisconsin FFA Center Board of Directors in 2014-2015, and on the Wisconsin FFA Board of Directors for2015-2019.
She has four main teaching objectives: To prepare students to function as highly-skilled and competent citizens, to foster critical thinking skills, to facilitate the acquisition of lifelong learning skills, to assist students as they develop inquiry and problem-solving skills.
“The ability to work with amazing individuals, who are passionate about the same interests motivates me to be a leader in the NAAE,” said Shari. “I’ve enjoyed the opportunities of meeting other educators from other states and attending professional development conferences, so I would like to promote these insightful possibilities to other members.”
As Region III Vice President, Graff under will assist the current President and President-Elect in setting the tone and direction for agricultural education initiatives in the upcoming year.
NAAE is the professional organization in the United States for agricultural educators. It provides its’ more than 8,000 members with professional networking and development opportunities, professional liability coverage, and extensive awards and recognition programs. Its’ mission is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.” The NAAE headquarters are in Lexington, Kentucky.