Cheslea Collins of the Texas County Farm Bureau office was honored as the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Secretary of the Year at the OKFB 75th Annual Meeting Nov. 11 in Oklahoma City.
Collins works in the Texas County Farm Bureau office in Guymon. A lifelong Texas County resident, she raises cattle with her husband and boys in the area.
County secretaries serve as the face of the county Farm Bureau office with not only customers but also with potential new members.
“I do a little bit of everything,” Collins said of her responsibilities in the county office. “I know pretty much every customer’s name when they walk in the door, who they are, where they come from and what they do.”
Collins went above and beyond in her efforts to serve her local community. She and another Farm Bureau member raised $50,000 in two months to build a playground at a rural school that many Farm Bureau members’ children attend. She has also been instrumental in advocating for agriculture and Farm Bureau programs throughout the county.
“It’s an honor,” Collins said of receiving the award. “I worked hard this year, and I had some goals that I set and we accomplished them. I have the best board members I could ask for who backed me on everything we wanted to do for the county, including open houses and our local parade. It’s a tremendous honor, and I’m very happy to receive it.”
Collins will receive an expense-paid trip to the 2017 American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting in Phoenix for being selected as OKFB Secretary of the Year.
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Annual Meeting is the organization’s largest gathering of farmers and ranchers every year. At the event, members vote on grassroots policy, elect leaders and award outstanding individuals. OKFB has a presence in all 77 Oklahoma counties and serves as the voice of agriculture and the rural way of life. To learn more, visit www.okfarmbureau.org.
Caption Information:
(L to R) Oklahoma Farm Bureau Executive Director Monica Wilke presents the 2016 OKFB Secretary of the Year Award to Cheslea Collins of Texas County.
