Kansas
City, Mo. � Sue Rowland, Marysville, Kansas, was named the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) Advisor of the Year at the 2006 Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE) in Louisville, Ky., where more than 600 youth and their families gathered to show and celebrate the Hereford breed.
For the past 17 years, Rowland has served as the Kansas Junior Polled Hereford Association (KJPHA) advisor. Together Rowland and junior board members make sure that the association is running as it should.
To Rowland, this doesn't mean the number of ribbons her juniors bring home. Instead, she measures the association's well-being based on friendships and experiences. For years she's been telling kids to meet �three new friends� at each show they attend, and following up to make sure they do. At the JNHE, she gives each participant a �lucky penny.�
Rowland hasn't missed a Junior National Polled Hereford Show since its beginning in 1974 or a JNHE since the polled and horned shows combined in 2000. She has helped plan two JNHEs, one regional show and countless annual KJPHA shows.
Sue and her husband, Jim, own and operate G&R Polled Herefords near Marysville. For 15 years the couple hosted an annual production sale offering youth show prospects. During this time, they also hosted a G&R Influence Show where junior customers could exhibit their cattle and learn through judging and fitting activities.
Rowland also taught school for 36 years, retiring in 2001. She taught business on both the high school and junior college level. After retiring from teaching, she worked for the Kansas State Department of Education to ensure that vocational departments throughout the state were in compliance. She now is an office manager for a printing company.
While some aspects of Rowland's life have changed in recent years, one thing remains the same � her passion for mentoring and befriending 4-Hers, FFA members and Hereford juniors. Thirty-one KJPHA members were able to share in Rowland's special recognition at the 2006 JNHE.