2011 Winner Of The Tina M. Shultz
Memorial Award

To be the winner of the Tina M. Shultz Award takes a special dedication to the promotion of the dairy industry and a tremendous year-long effort. That dedication and effort has certainly been exhibited by the 2010-2011 winner, Melissa Ann Dehart of Butler County.

Like Tina, Melissa never missed an opportunity to promote an industry she loves and believes in. In her very first month as Butler County Dairy Princess she conducted promotions on 21 of July’s 31 days with several different activities on a number of those days. And those busy days never let up. During her year she travelled 21,332 miles within her county accomplishing 887 total appearances- 593 of which were school promotions reaching 13,193 children, and 76 store, mall, and fair promotions reaching hundreds more consumers. In addition she wrote 48 newspaper articles and recorded 28 radio spots and interviews and made 33 speeches to both farm and non-farm audiences. Along with her Alternate, Dairy Maids and Committee she distributed over 30 thousand samples of ice cream and cheese, 3,575 recipes, and over 29 thousand erasers, pencils, coloring books and “Got Milk” stickers.

Her promotion activities included a number of unique ideas and locations including taking cheese trays to polling places and banks, “Dairy Scoop” columns in grocery store newsletters, and a weekly “Dairy Princess Corner” in her church newsletter. She visited 4-H Camps and spoke to Sunday School and youth groups as well as to parents and teachers at school open houses. She invented some new “dairy” games for pre-school and kindergarten children. Wherever or whenever there was an opportunity to speak up for dairy Melissa was there.

Melissa is the 20 year old daughter of Bonnie and William DeHart of Evans City. As Tina Shultz winner she follows the example of her sister, Megan Dehart Greathouse who received the Award in 2004. When not promoting the dairy industry and its products Melissa attends Butler County Community College where she is studying Hospitality Restaurant Management. Her ultimate goal is to open her own “Dairy Parlor” Restaurant. She was a 2009 graduate of Seneca Valley High School and as owner of six Holsteins and Brown Swiss as well as pigs and lambs, she was an active member of the 4-H Dairy Club and the Dunbar Ag 4-H Club. She is also an active member of Crestview Community Church where she serves as a deacon.

There is no question that Melissa DeHart has gone far beyond the call of duty and has fully earned this year’s Tina M. Shultz Award. We are sure that she will continue to be a DAIRY PROMOTER wherever life may take her.

Congratulations! Melissa