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- Lacombe, Judia
Judia C. Lacombe
Acadia Parish
Year Inducted: 2014
Judia Lacombe has devoted her life to the Iota 4-H program as a member (1955) and organizational and project leader for Iota Junior and Iota Senior Clubs for 40 years, Acadia 4-H Advisory Council (25 years), 4-H Foundation Board, Awards Trip and Scholarship Coordinator (24 years) and donor. She believes 4-H is a family affair and recruits parents, grandparents and caring adults to assist the 100+ members in each club. Her philosophy is there is no project too big or too small and awards members for their successes by establishing annual out-of-state award trips to Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., New York and even Canada. Fundraising is conducted to finance the trips and service projects, including food booth sales, sweet shops, barbeque and homemade bread. Another hallmark of Judia’s clubs is community service. One of the most notable efforts was a Habitat for Humanity-type project when Iota 4-H Clubs cleaned, repaired and painted a citizen’s home that had fallen in disrepair. Another ongoing project is the club’s “food for the elderly” program. The club sponsors three scholarships awarded annually to 4-H graduating seniors to help continue their educations. Judia’s family served as hosts for the International 4-H/LABO Japanese exchange program for 11 years. For her remarkable dedication to youth development, she was named as Acadia Parish Person of the Year for three years and Woodmen of the World Citizen of the Year. She is currently president of the St. Joseph Altar Society and Acadia Library Board. She has chaperoned 4-H groups on the San Joaquin, California, exchange trip, Canadian and National 4-H Congress. Judia has been named Acadia’s Outstanding 4-H Leader, Achievement Day Honoree, Good Provider Award recipient and delegate to the National 4-H Foods and Nutrition Leaders Forum. She coached youth softball for 33 years, winning the 1991 National Championship.