Florida Announces Its 2014 Woman Of The Year In Agriculture

Posted by Paul Rusnak|September 29, 2014

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam announced Belinda G. Chason of Quincy has been named the 2014 Woman of the Year in Agriculture. The award, now in its 30th year, recognizes women who have made outstanding contributions to Florida agriculture.
“Belinda Chason is a true advocate for Florida agriculture. She spent more than four decades sharing her knowledge and love of our land with thousands of students across Florida, inspiring younger generations to get involved in agriculture,” said Putnam. “I am proud to recognize her as the 2014 Woman of the Year in Agriculture, and I want to thank her for her years of dedicated service and contributions to agriculture and to all of Florida.”

Chason has championed agricultural education in Florida for more than 40 years. She retired from the Florida Department of Education in 2011 as the Director of Career and Technical Education after redesigning agriscience education and preparing curriculum that would ensure a better workforce for Florida’s agriculture industry. Since that time, she has rejoined the Department of Education as the Director of Educational Initiatives for Career and Adult Education.

She was the first female Executive Director of the FFA in Florida and the first female to serve on the National FFA Board of Directors. She also served as the State FFA Advisor for more than 15 years. After her retirement, an endowment was established to fund the Belinda G. Chason Legacy Program Award, which will be given annually to an agriscience education program in the state.

The Woman of the Year in Agriculture award is sponsored by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida State Fair Authority and presented to the recipient during the 2015 Florida State Fair in Tampa.