The Wisconsin FFA Foundation announced the Jeff Hicken Memorial Fund, in honor of the State Advisor who passed away last month on June 18th.
Hicken is a former member of the Lomira FFA and former Wisconsin FFA State Sentinel. He graduated from UW-River Falls and started his ag education career at Sauk Prairie High School in 1998. Then in 2006, he began his service at the state level as the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Education Consultant and State FFA Advisor with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, a position he held until his passing.
Jeff’s legacy includes his family, his impact on agricultural education and FFA, and his service to numerous coalitions, committees, and boards – including the Wisconsin Farm Technology Days Board of Directors, National FFA Foundation Board of Trustees, National Association of State Supervisors of Agriculture Education (NASAE) Board of Directors, AgrAbility of Wisconsin Advisory Council, and School for Agricultural & Environmental Studies (SAGES) Foundation Board.
Thanks to generous pledges from the FFA community, the Jeff Hicken Memorial Fund was fully endowed at the $15,000 level and will keep growing from various contributions. Jeff and his family were inducted into the Foundation’s Blue & Gold Society during a special tribute at the 92nd Wisconsin FFA Convention on July 7th, 2021.
A matching gift has also been pledged, doubling the impact of new gifts given, up to $5,000. All contributions given to the fund will support Wisconsin FFA members and programs through the Wisconsin FFA Foundation endowment program.
