Arkansas 4-H Alumni Association

Joan "Jo" Coleman Hays

Washington County

Outstanding Arkansas 4-H Alumna, 2015

Joan(Jo) Coleman Hays grew up in Mountainburg and was a member of the Locke 4-H Club in Crawford County where she served as reporter and historian. In 1954 she attended Arkansas 4-H Camp and ran for the office of State Reporter. She ran again ans was elected State 4-H Reporter in 1956. In 1957 she was the Arkansas Food Preservation Project winner and attended National 4-H Congress in Chicago.

While attending the 1959 Washington D.C. National 4-H Conference, she attended the dedication of the National 4-H Center by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

While attending the University of Arkansas, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree, Joan lived in the Girls 4-H House from 1959 to 1961. Upon graduation, sher taught vocational Home Economics in Lincoln, Arkansas, from 1961 to 1963. From 1963 to 1965 she worked with Washington County 4-H as Associate Home Economist.

Joan served as president of the Arkansas 4-H Volunteer Leaders' Association and is a lifetime member of the Arkansas 4-H Alumni Association.

Joan was married to LLoyd L Hays from 1961 to 2006. They owned and operated Trailwood Mobile Home park in Fayetteville. Their four children - David, Debbie, Danny, and Dannetta - were active active members of the Bethel Grove 4-H Club in Washington County. Two children each served as Northwest Arkansas 4-H Vice President and Arkansas 4-H President. David and Debbie were also State and National project winners, David in sheep and Debbie in Food Preservation. Dannetta was State winner in Arkansas Photography contest and also a State winner in the Ross Photography contest. David was selected as National Ambassador in 1985 as well as receiving the first Arkansas Governor's award. Debbie was awarded a week-long trip to Europe from an essay contest after National Congress. Debbie was an exchange student to Australia through the Arkansas Bicentennial program due in part to her 4-H activities. Joan was also the aunt of two other Arkansas 4-H Presidents.