“I envision a program in which staff, volunteers, agency partners, funding partners and communities work together for the ultimate good of each Kentucky child,” Joe Kurth said when he was named the new assistant extension director for 4-H Youth Development at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment back in 2003. 

Until Kurth’s recent passing, he dedicated his life to making this vision become a reality — impacting countless people, while being an advocate for Kentucky 4-H youth and programming, spanning 50 years.

Bob O’Brien, Kurth’s administrative assistant for seven years, was “immediately impressed.” 

“We could tell right away that Joe would be a strong advocate for 4-H,” O’Brien said. “He empowered us, and the agents really liked Joe. He knew our worth and value. He encouraged his people and wasn’t afraid to advocate for us and our ideas.” 

Kurth’s endless supply of enthusiasm, genuine spirit and compassion for youth, volunteers and extension professionals were just some of his characteristics that helped him build and sustain meaningful relationships. His servant leadership approach helped Kurth and the 4-H team build and grow 4-H’s international capacity and membership. 

“Dr. Kurth brought a sense of stability and vision to the Kentucky 4-H program,” said Chuck Stamper, UK extension special projects coordinator of 4-H Youth Development at Martin-Gatton CAFE. “He always wanted to move the program forward.” 

For those that knew Kurth best, his character, charisma, integrity and leadership style are what set him apart along with an unforgettable motto. 

Get on the KY 4-H bus. Don't get left behind! 

According to Stamper, this motto embodied Kurth. 

Joyce Belcher, who originally hired and worked with Kurth for approximately 11 years, recalls one of his first team meetings which included the memorable analogy. 

“I’ll never forget that meeting,” Belcher said. “Joe asked us to think of a school bus where he was the driver, and we were the passengers. He asked that we step on the bus with him and that it was his job to know the skills of each person to help the bus move in the right direction. This could involve moving people on the bus around or even letting them off at the next stop. This philosophy really helped people get on board or they could be left behind. We accomplished things that other people said were impossible, believing that everyone has valuable skills to offer.” 

Kurth’s belief in people has extended even further for Belcher, who originally thought she wasn’t qualified for a leadership opportunity at a popular destination resort in Kentucky. After seeking Kurth’s guidance, Belcher applied for and secured the job, using Kurth’s bus school analogy to help motivate her team along the way. 

“He was able to reach down into you and make you believe in what you can do,” Belcher said. “I got that job because of Joe. Joe was there to help, and you could always call on Joe anytime. He was a wonderful man, and he believed in people.” 

Remembering Joe Kurth 

Growing up in Savanna, Illinois, Kurth was a member of the Tip Top Troopers 4-H Club for 10 years.   

Kurth served as Area 4-H Youth Specialist for the Missouri Cooperative Extension for five years and then became state 4-H curriculum specialist at the University of Missouri – Columbia from 1981-86. During that time, he created and coordinated the National 4-H Curriculum Network. 

Kurth then served as Idaho’s 4-H director from 1986-87, which doubled in size during his tenure. He chaired the writing committee and was the principal author for the 4-H International publication “And My World.”  

He became State 4-H director in Washington State from 1987-93. He chaired the Development Committee for the National 4-H Curriculum Handbook, the precursor of the National 4-H Curriculum System. The statewide 4-H enrollment doubled to 75,000 with only 13 full-time 4-H agents serving 40 counties. 

Kurth served as the director of 4-H Programs for Iowa from 1993-2003, where participation grew from 73,000 to 130,000. He also served on the National 4-H Name and Emblem Committee for three years and served two years on the National 4-H Council Board of Directors. 

In 2003, his family moved to Lexington where Kurth accepted the position of assistant director of UK Cooperative Extension for 4-H Youth Development Programs. During this time, he served as National Chair of State 4-H Directors and as National Chair of the States’ 4-H International Exchange Programs Board of Directors.   

Additional accomplishments included developing the Kentucky 4-H core curriculum, securing American Camping Association accreditation for all four state 4-H camping centers, introducing Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) programs, launching the Livestock Volunteer certification/re-certification and the Horse Volunteer certification, introducing the “4-H: A Capitol Experience” and 4-H Summit and celebrating Kentucky’s 4-H Centennial. 

In 2008, Kurth also led 4-H’ers in donating their state fair projects to feed the hungry. In 2010, Kurth retired from UK, concluding a career spanning approximately five decades. 

He received the Kentucky 4-H Distinguished Leadership Award at the Kentucky Volunteer Forum in 2012 and was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame in 2015. 

Rachel Guidugli, a 4-H member during Kurth’s leadership and current assistant extension director for 4-H Youth Development shares, “Kentucky 4-H stands on the shoulders of giants, and Dr. Kurth is one of those giants. The positive impact of his contribution will be felt by young people in their clubs, communities, country and world for generations to come.” 

To learn more about the Kentucky 4-H Youth Development, part of the UK Cooperative Extension Service at Martin-Gatton CAFE, visit https://4-h.ca.uky.edu.

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Writer: Christopher Carney, Christopher.Carney@uky.edu

The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,  gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.