Bio: Gerhardt, Amy - Named President-elect of WAAE (2021)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Gerhardt

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 7/14/2021

Gerhardt Named President-elect of WAAE (2021)



Neillsville High School agriculture instructor and FFA advisor Amy Gerhardt has been named president-elect for the Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators Submitted photo

By Valorie Brecht

Amy Gebhardt is excited to represent agricultural educators across the stee in an upcoming role.

Gerhardt, who’s in her 23rd year of teaching agriculture classes at the Neillsville School District, was named president-elect of the Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators (WAAE) during the group’s annual conference June 28 and 29 in La Crosse.

“It was a total shock. There’s a lot of good ag teachers out there, so I was just shocked and honored to be selected. It’s a little overwhelming. There are a little over 300 teachers in the association and it will be my job to represent them, and that’s something I take very seriously. But, I have a great board to work with,” said
Gerhardt

WAAE is a professional organization made up of middle school, high school and post-secondary agriculture teachers.

“We are dedicated to agricultural educators in developing knowledge and sharpening skills about the ever-evolving agricultural industry,” the WAAE website states.

Gerhardt started on the WAAE Board four years ago as a section representative. There are 10 FFA sections in Wisconsin. Gerhardt was chosen to represent her section, which includes 26 school districts in central Wisconsin.

“Four years ago, at our section meeting, it was like, ‘Well, you haven’t been on the board yet; it’s your turn,’” said Gerhardt. “I thought I would do my four years and move on; I never thought it would end up this way but I’m excited that it did.”

As Gerhardt’s time as section representative came to a close, she was one of five section representatives who were eligible to become president-elect. The 20-some member WAE Board voted on the eligible candidates and chose Gerhardt. She will served as president-elect this year, president the following year and past-president the year after that.

As president-elect, Gerhardt will be responsible for coordinating committee work. There are 15 committees throughout the state.

“Our group is very grassroots; it’s run by ag teachers. Each committee represents ag teachers throughout the state,” Gerhardt explained.

Gerhardt will serve as a liaison between the committees and the board.

“So for an example if a committee needs money for a program, I will bring that to the board,” said Gerhardt.

Some of the committees include the curriculum committee, which aims to find creative ways to share curriculum with students; the career development committee, which plans the judging contests that FFA students participate in; the fundraising committee, which raises funds for the agricultural programs; and the teacher recruitment and retention committee.

Starting in July 2022, Gerhardt will serve as WAAE president. Her duties will include overseeing the state conference and all the meetings throughout the year. The WAAE Board meets quarterly, usually at FFA conferences or events. WAAE also offers professional development events for teachers.

Gerhardt will also be in charge of working with sponsors to procure funds for the organization. She will connect with state legislators as well.

“I will get to share with them about career and technical education and agricultural education, and how important it is to have that in schools,” said Gerhardt.

She recognizes that it will be a big responsibility being the face of Wisconsin agriculture teachers, both secondary and post-secondary.

“When you look at our ag teachers, we have a lot of diversity. There’s a large age span. Some have been teaching for decades and some are just starting out. Some are from big towns and some are from small towns. So it will be cool to work with all of them. Not to say that I haven’t worked with them already, but I’ll get to work with them in a different role.

“I like to bring people together to learn from each other, and I have a personality that works well for that.”

In July 2023, Gerhardt will transition to past-president. As past-president, Gerhardt will assist the president as needed. Other responsibilities will include serving as a delegate to meetings of the National Association of Agricultural Educators, updating the officers’ handbook for the coming year and serving as member of the past-presidents committee.

To learn more about WAAE, go to www.wisconsinaged.org/waae/.