Seneca High agriculture teacher, FFA advisor receives national award

Award recognizes educators who make a significant impact in community service

The Association for Career and Technical Education announced Jeff Maierhofer, agriculture teacher/FFA advisor at Seneca High School, as the recipient of the 2022 National ACTE Carl Perkins Community Service Award.

This award recognizes individuals who have used CTE to make a significant impact on their community and demonstrated leadership in programs and activities that promote student involvement in community service.

Maierhofer attended the University of Illinois, graduating in 1989 with a double major in agricultural education and agricultural economics and then started teaching at Seneca High School in the fall of 1989. The Seneca High School Ag Ed Department and the Seneca FFA have been recognized on the state and national level, including 18 consecutive Illinois FFA Outstanding Chapter recognitions.

In addition to his teaching duties, Maierhofer has represented agricultural education in leadership capacities across the country. He served on the Illinois FFA board of directors, was elected as the 2004-2005 National Association of Agricultural Educators national president, spent two terms on the National Council for Agricultural Education, was a consultant to the National FFA board of directors, and served as the national vice president of the Ag Ed Division of the Association of Career and Technical Educators from 2010-2012. Maierhofer also is on the board of directors of the Seneca Historical Guild where he was the lead author for “The Story of Seneca, Illinois,” and helped create the Seneca Area Heritage Museum.

“I am humbled and honored to receive this recognition,” said Maierhofer, in a press release, “but it really goes to everyone who has served the communities in our school district. The FFA organization and agriculture curriculum are excellent vehicles to give real meaning to education and provide a sense of pride in our community with the activities that we have completed over the years.”

Maierhofer was one of five finalists for the 2022 national title. The national winner was announced at the ACTE Virtual Awards Gala, recognizing the best CTE educators in the country. The event took place Nov. 30, prior to the start of ACTE’s Hybrid CareerTech VISION 2021. The Virtual Awards Gala was sponsored by Express Employment Professionals, CareerSafe, Goodheart-Willcox and Stratasys.