Leading Executives from YouTube and Pet Retail Brands Elected to National 4-H Council Board of Trustees

CHEVY CHASE, Md., Sept. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- National 4‑H Council has announced the election of two new Trustees to its Board – Danielle Tiedt, Chief Marketing Officer, YouTube and Richard Maltsbarger, President and CEO, Pet Retail Brands.

By leveraging their extensive business experience, as well as their passion as 4-H alums for inspiring youth leaders, the new Trustees will support Council's mission to increase investment and expand the reach of our nation's largest youth development organization. This will ensure that all young people have access to the life-changing programs delivered by the nation's public universities and America's Cooperative Extension System. 

Tiedt and Maltsbarger bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience in the digital marketing and agriculture industries respectively and will play an integral role in supporting the implementation of Council's strategic plan, which was created to support Cooperative Extension's growth. The plan is based on research which found that upward economic mobility — the possibility that children will grow up to earn more than their parents — has been declining for nearly half a century. In 1970, 30-year-olds had a 90 percent chance of earning more than their parents did at the same age, adjusted for inflation. By 2014, those odds had dropped to around 50 percent.

"Investing in our youth is critical, which is why we are extremely grateful to these business leaders for joining our Board. Their combined expertise will help us to expand opportunities and inspire the next generation of young people to succeed in a competitive workforce," said Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, National 4‑H Council. "Their leadership skills, coupled with their passion for agriculture and diversity, will be a tremendous asset to Council's Board and the 4-H system at large."

Danielle Tiedt: Chief Marketing Officer, YouTube
San Francisco, CA
Danielle Tiedt joined Google in May 2012 as YouTube's Chief Marketing Officer, and since then has worked to showcase and grow the platform. Under her leadership, YouTube Marketing has focused on building mainstream recognition for YouTube Creators and its original programming, developing YouTube Music, bringing the first ever YouTube Kids app to market and launching a premium subscription service. Prior to Google, Danielle worked in a variety of roles at Microsoft for over 15 years.

A 4-H alum from Iowa, Tiedt is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and now lives in San Francisco with her partner, son and daughter. Outside of work, Danielle enjoys great music, art and the outdoors.

Richard Maltsbarger: President & CEO, Pet Retail Brands
Sunrise, FL
Richard Maltsbarger joined Pet Retail Brands as President & CEO in November 2018.  In this role, he works with a team of ACEs (Animal Care Experts) in 1,180 stores across Canada and the Eastern United States, serving over 30 million pet lovers every year. In addition, Maltsbarger helps to manage his family's farming operation.

Prior to joining Pet Retail Brands, Maltsbarger spent 14 years in leadership roles with Lowe's Home Improvement, before working in analytics and marketing with Monsanto and credit risk scoring with Farmland Industries, amongst others.  Maltsbarger earned a bachelor's and master's degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.

Maltsbarger grew up in Missouri and was an active member of the Van Natta 4-H chapter as a child.  He credits his ability to work on small engines, sew on a button and do basic woodworking and home repairs to his hands-on experiences in 4-H. 

About 4‑H
4‑H, the nation's largest youth development organization, grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for career tomorrow. 4‑H programs empower nearly six million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills. 4‑H is the youth development program of our nation's Cooperative Extension System and USDA and serves every county and parish in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3,000 local Extension offices. Globally, 4‑H collaborates with independent programs to empower one million youth in 50 countries. The research-backed 4‑H experience grows young people who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to make healthier choices; two times more likely to be civically active; and two times more likely to participate in STEM programs.

Learn more about 4‑H at www.4‑H.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4‑H and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/4H.

SOURCE National 4-H Council