The Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development program recognized its 2026 Outstanding Alumni and State Partner in 4-H Award winners at the Honors Night Banquet during the 105th State 4-H Roundup at Oklahoma State University on July 23.

Dr. Randy Harp and Shirley W. Hastings McLeod received the Outstanding Alumni Award, while Lily Stubbs was honored with the State Partner in 4-H Award.

Dr. Randy Harp, Outstanding Alumni Award

Dr. Randy Harp’s lifelong commitment to agriculture, education and youth development began as a 4-H’er in northeastern Oklahoma.

Growing up in Delaware County, Harp immersed himself in nearly every project available through 4-H.

“I started off in 4-H with land judging, poultry projects and livestock projects, showing swine and showing beef cattle,” Harp said. “I did just about everything that our county agent wanted us to.”

His involvement extended well beyond project work. Harp served as a county 4-H officer before becoming Northeast District 4-H president and attending National 4-H Congress in 1972. He said some of his fondest memories came from attending State 4-H Roundup, meeting new 4-H’ers and building friendships.

“My favorite time in 4-H was the time that I would come to Roundup,” he said. “Meet others, visit and get to know a lot of 4-H’ers across the state of Oklahoma.”

Harp credits much of his success to the support of his family.

“I grew up with two older brothers. They were mentors to me,” he said. “Mom and Dad supported us. We had a grandmother who supported us. We were very, very appreciative of that.”

The family worked side by side on gardens, livestock and judging teams, helping build the work ethic and leadership skills that would serve him throughout his career.

After earning his bachelor’s degree at OSU, Harp initially hoped to become a county Extension educator. Instead, he pursued graduate studies at New Mexico State University before becoming a 4-H agent in Texas.

“I went on to be a teacher,” he said. “And I’ve just been in education and academics ever since.”

Harp served on the faculty at East Texas State University, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Tarleton State University and Texas A&M University-Commerce. Throughout his distinguished career, he coached 12 national champion meat judging teams and led numerous 4-H meat and livestock judging contests.

He also spent 16 years serving as superintendent of livestock and meat contests hosted by Tarleton State University, helping create educational opportunities for countless young people interested in agriculture and animal sciences.

As a department head and university administrator, Harp secured about $525,000 in external funding to support teaching and research. In 2013, he received the American Meat Science Association Intercollegiate Meat Judging Meritorious Service Award.

Following his service as dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas A&M University-Commerce from 2016 to 2023, Harp returned to Eastern Oklahoma State College in 2024 as vice president of academic affairs and development and interim dean for agriculture. In 2025, he was selected to serve as president of the college.

In his current role, Harp serves on the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Council of Presidents and as executive director of the Eastern Oklahoma State College Development Foundation. He also ensures the college’s facilities remain available for Oklahoma State University Extension and 4-H events and activities.

Throughout his career, Harp has remained committed to supporting youth through education.

“I’ve had many, many opportunities to help with 4-H, and that’s probably the most rewarding,” he said.

From coaching judging teams to leading colleges and universities, Harp said his greatest satisfaction has come from investing in young people and watching them achieve their goals.

“It’s the relationships that you build,” he said. “It’s the students that you help in their careers. It’s my time to give back. It’s my time to work with 4-H students to help them grow, to go on to college and further their career.”

Shirley W. Hastings McLeod, Outstanding Alumni Award

When Shirley W. Hastings McLeod was growing up in Duke, Oklahoma, 4-H was a family affair.

“There were five children, and we all started in 4-H when we were 9 years old, as soon as we could,” McLeod said.

For the Hastings family, 4-H meant livestock projects, horses, leadership opportunities and countless learning experiences.

“We all had livestock. We all had a calf, we all had horses,” she said. “Horses were a big thing in my family.”

McLeod participated in livestock judging and showing, public speaking, demonstrations, Share the Fun, Dress Revue, State 4-H Roundup and both State and National 4-H Congress. She also served as a district officer and became a state and national winner in the 4-H Foods Project.

By the time she reached seventh grade, McLeod already knew the career path she wanted to pursue.

“I decided I wanted to be an Extension agent because I wanted to be just like Pat Fortenberry, my agent at that time,” she said.

Fortenberry’s mentorship helped inspire McLeod to pursue leadership opportunities, including earning a national scholarship that took her to National 4-H Congress in Chicago.

“Going to Chicago on the train was a real experience and a lot of fun,” she said.

After her time in 4-H, McLeod attended OSU, majoring in family and consumer sciences before earning her doctorate in 1985.

She went on to build a distinguished Extension career spanning New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Tennessee.

“I was following my husband’s career, and I was just lucky to always get to work for Extension wherever we moved,” she said.

Throughout her career, McLeod provided leadership for family and consumer sciences programs that improved lives across the country. She eventually served as director of the University of Tennessee Extension Strategic Planning and as associate dean of Extension, after previously serving as director of family and consumer sciences.

One experience that left a lasting impression came early in her career while working with youth in Denver County, Colorado.

“Those children would not have participated if we had not had that program,” she said. “Some of them had no one who was interested in them.”

McLeod became a nationally recognized leader in family and consumer sciences. Throughout her career, she helped secure more than $70 million in funding to strengthen family and consumer sciences programs and educational opportunities. She served as president of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences from 1997 to 1998 and later received the organization's prestigious Legend in Family and Consumer Sciences honor.

She also served as chair of the Southern Region Family and Consumer Sciences Program Leaders in 2008 and held numerous leadership positions throughout her profession.

Despite her national influence, McLeod never forgot the program that helped launch her success.

After retiring and returning to Oklahoma, she established the Welch Family 4-H Scholarship to honor her parents, who supported five children through years of 4-H activities and college education.

“I felt like I wanted to do something in memory of my parents,” she said. “They were a big influence.”

The scholarship is awarded annually during the Oklahoma 4-H Honors Night program and supports young people pursuing their educational goals.

Looking back, McLeod believes 4-H’s greatest strength is the way it helps young people discover their potential.

“4-H teaches life skills, decision-making and the importance of an education,” she said. “It’s important for 4-H’ers to have someone interested in them, and my experience is that 4-H leaders are that key.”

McLeod also continues to support Oklahoma 4-H through service on the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation Advisory Council.

Lily Stubbs, State Partner in 4-H Award

Although Lily Stubbs was never a 4-H’er herself, the program has become a central part of her life and a passion she has shared with hundreds of Oklahoma youth.

“I was a military kid,” Stubbs said. “My mom was in the Air Force, so we traveled.”

After settling in Oklahoma and raising a family, Stubbs became involved with 4-H through the Little Axe community in Cleveland County.

What started as a request to help with a local club turned into more than two decades of volunteer service.

“They needed a Cloverbud leader and a senior leader,” she said. “My husband became a senior leader, and I became a Cloverbud leader.”

Over the next 22 years, Stubbs helped charter and lead multiple clubs, including Little Axe 4-H, the Cleveland County Agricultural Club and the Cleveland County 4-H Archery Club.

Recognizing a need for additional project opportunities, she founded the county’s archery program in 2016 and helped expand shooting sports opportunities for youth across Cleveland County.

Her dedication to the project area led her to become a Level 2 4-H Archery Instructor in 2019. In 2025, she achieved a historic milestone as the first female National 4-H Shooting Sports Level 3 Archery Instructor.

“It was a very proud moment for me,” she said.

Stubbs also serves on the Oklahoma 4-H Shooting Sports Advisory Board, where she has worked to strengthen volunteer training, safety standards and long-term program sustainability. She has coached Oklahoma youth at national competitions and served as a superintendent and judge at the Oklahoma State Fair.

While her accomplishments are significant, Stubbs said the true reward comes from helping young people develop confidence and discover their potential.

“In archery, it’s when they hit the target for the first time, and you hear that thud. If it’s public speaking, it’s when they do that first speech. It’s that spark,” she said. “You get to watch them grow and flourish.”

The impact of 4-H has been especially meaningful for her own family. One of her sons found confidence and support through the program.

“He stood up at Roundup and gave a speech in his senior year of high school,” Stubbs said. “He’s addressed hundreds and thousands of people. He can talk to anybody. And that’s because of the dedicated people in 4-H.”

Today, both of her sons work for Oklahoma State University Extension.

“To me, that’s the coolest thing,” she said.

Throughout her volunteer career, Stubbs has held numerous county, state and regional leadership positions. During an eight-month vacancy in the Cleveland County Extension educator position, she assumed critical responsibilities to ensure contests, clinics and educational opportunities continued uninterrupted.

She also helped maintain volunteer engagement and youth programming throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Through COVID, through educator changes, through everything, I think it showed that 4-H is still strong,” she said. “We’re unstoppable.”

Stubbs’ commitment to Oklahoma 4-H has earned recognition at the county, district and state levels, including Cleveland County Volunteer of the Year, Oklahoma Lifetime Volunteer of the Year and the Oklahoma Home and Community Education Heart of OHCE Award.

After more than two decades of service, she remains convinced that the program has something to offer every young person.

“Any kid can fit in 4-H,” Stubbs said. “Any kid and every kid.”

From leadership and public speaking to agriculture and shooting sports, Stubbs said 4-H equips members with skills they will use throughout their lives.

“We prepare kids for the real world,” she said. “These kids are Beyond Ready.”

The Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development program provides experiential and hands-on learning opportunities to help youth learn valuable life skills they need to become leaders within their clubs, communities, state and world. Most programming is available at little to no cost. 4-H membership is open to youth in each of Oklahoma’s 77 counties, where OSU Extension educators are equipped with research-based information to help all residents solve local issues, promote leadership and manage resources.