Photo provided with the press release
Former director of the Suffield Agriscience Center Harrison Griffin, third from left, is pictured with NAAE and FFA officials at the NAAE convention receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award.
Burton Harrison Griffin of West Suffield is one of only six individuals nationwide selected for the 2017 National Association of Agricultural Educators Lifetime Achievement Award. He was recognized for his many contributions to the profession of agricultural education on December 8 at the NAAE annual convention in Nashville.
Griffin was in the ninth generation on his family’s dairy and vegetable farm, where he was invested in all activities of the operation. In 1968 an opportunity arose to take the position of agricultural educator at Suffield High School. After working at Suffield for a short time, Griffin moved to Rockville for a brief term, then returned to serve the next 28 years as the Agriscience director at Suffield, where he played a pivotal role in expanding the agriscience program.
Throughout his career, Griffin devoted time to serving the profession as a member of committees and organizations. As a member of the Connecticut Association of Agricultural Educators, he often met with state legislators to advocate for agricultural education funding. He also was a trustee, and eventually president, of the Connecticut FFA Foundation, through which he helped secure and distribute scholarships to FFA members.
Griffin has also dedicated many years of service to the Eastern States Exposition, serving as a member of the planning committee for 36 years. In addition to serving on the planning committee, he has dedicated 46 years to being the superintendent for the FFA Northeast Regional Stars Program. This program gives students an opportunity to showcase their projects and achievements. Even after his retirement from teaching, Griffin has continued to support agricultural education through his involvement in programs and activities such as the Eastern States Exposition.