Region VI Vice President
Pennsylvania
(717) 506-3699
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Darla is currently in her 13th year as an Agricultural Science Teacher and FFA Advisor at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania where she has coached 17 state champion FFA teams, guided over 125 FFA members to earn their State FFA Degree, and mentored 2 students who were selected to serve as Pennsylvania FFA State Officers. She is a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) in Career & Technical Education and serves as a NBCT Facilitator within her school district.
Darla has grown the Cumberland Valley Agricultural Science Department from 2 teachers in 2013 to 5 teachers in a program that serves over 750 students in grades 6-12. CV Agricultural Sciences has hosted very successful “Beyond the Blue” Agricultural Education showcases in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators in 2018, 2019, and 2025. In addition, Cumberland Valley Agricultural Sciences was recognized by the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) as the 2024 Outstanding Middle/Secondary Agricultural Education Program for the Northeast Region (Virginia to Maine).
Darla had been involved with numerous committee and leadership positions within Agricultural Education at the state and national level. She has served as a Regional Vice-President, President-Elect, President, and Past-President of the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators. She has been active in NAAE committees by serving as Secretary for the NAAE Advocacy in Agricultural Education and former NAAE Strategic Planning committees. Darla was selected to be a member of the 2020 Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Science Content Revision Committee and served 3 years as the GLAGjr Program Manager for the Global Teach Ag Network housed at Penn State.
Darla has been recognized as the 2016 NAAE Region 6 Outstanding Young Teacher, 2022 NAAE Region 6 Outstanding Agricultural Education Teacher, 2022 National Education Association Global Learning Fellow, 2024 Cumberland Valley Eagle Foundation “Commitment to Excellence” Award Winner, and a 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Finalist. She earned B.S. degrees in Animal Science & Dairy Science from Delaware Valley University and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Education from Penn State University. Darla is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at Iowa State University pursuing a doctorate in Agricultural Education. Her research program is centered on experiential learning in agriculture, career decision-making, and program evaluation.
