15 teachers named Ag Educators of the Year

As agricultural education programs continue to play a vital role in preparing the next generation of industry leaders, the Golden Owl Award celebrated a record year of recognition for ag educators, receiving more than 4,900 nominations and recognizing 107 finalists across 15 states. Nationwide and its state FFA partners are proud to announce the 2025-2026 Golden Owl Award grand prize winners and Ag Educators of the Year.

• California: Russell Zimmerman, Nipomo High School
• Delaware: Mark Breeding, Caesar Rodney High School
• Iowa: Zach Morris, West Liberty High School
• Illinois: Joe Steffen, Newark High School
• Indiana: Lynnette Markley, Argos High School
• Kansas: Dr. Kelly Hoelting, Mission Valley High School
• Kentucky: Ben Prevette, Hopkins County Central High School
• Maryland: Becky Yost, Northern High School
• Missouri: Jarred Sayre, Milan C‑2 High School
• Nebraska: Tony Jensen, Freeman High School
• New York: Mary Coolbaugh, Marcus Whitman Central School
• Ohio: Alex Zimmer, Buckeye Valley High School
• Pennsylvania: Doug Masser, Pequea Valley High School
• South Dakota: Dave VanderWal, De Smet High School
• Utah: Chad Warnick, Delta High School 

Nationwide partnered with state FFA organizations to establish the Golden Owl Award in 2018 to highlight the growing importance of agricultural educators and recognize those who go above and beyond to support students pursuing careers in agriculture, agribusiness and environmental stewardship. Since its inception, the program has supplied more than $800,000 to support teachers, students, school agricultural programs and FFA organizations. The award has expanded each year due to popularity, adding Delaware and Utah in 2025 to its growing list of participating states.

As grand prize winners, the teachers earn the title of their state’s Ag Educator of the Year, the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy, and $3,000 in funding to help bring new opportunities to their programs.

“These outstanding teachers exemplify passion and devotion to shaping the future of their communities,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “Their tireless efforts inspire the next generation of agriculture leaders, and we’re proud to recognize their invaluable contributions as Ag Educators of the Year.”

Each year, the selected finalists, chosen by established state committees, are awarded $500¹ in recognition of their contributions. Nationwide also contributes $5,000 to each of the participating state FFA organizations.

To see a complete list of partners, read more about the state honorees, see past winners or learn about the nomination process in select states, visit www.GoldenOwlAward.com.


^{1 Ohio finalists will receive a personalized plaque and $1,500 to fund their programs. Ohio’s Ag Educator of the Year title will receive the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy and an additional $5,000 to help fund future educational efforts for their program. Ohio’s partners, Farm Credit Mid-America and AgCredit, provided funding for the increase in prize money. In accordance with Ohio law, cash prizes in Ohio are awarded to the winner’s school ag program.}