Stuart Hawbaker of Macon County spent his distinguished 36 year career with the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Illinois. While serving as Farm Adviser and Unit Leader in Macon County from 1975 until his retirement in 2000, Stuart provided outstanding leadership to the Macon County 4-H Foundation and to the local 4-H program. He was successful in passing Extension tax referendums to provide local funding for 4-H and Extension in Macon, Champaign, and Mason counties. Stuart continues supporting the Macon County 4-H and Extension Foundation by serving as an ex-officio member and providing valuable assistance to their fundraising efforts by personally matching many local contributions. In 2010, the Macon County 4-H and Extension Foundation honored his many years of leadership by creating the Stuart Hawbaker Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented annually and named him as the first recipient.