JOHNSTON – Mr. Hugh Bland is no stranger to the town of Edgefield, especially when you mention the Thurmond FFA.

However, Darla Simons Steele, a 2004 graduate of Strom Thurmond is no stranger either to the Thurmond FFA. Mrs. Steele has been named the new Agricultural Educator at Strom Thurmond Career Center to replace her former agricultural instructor, Mr. Hugh Bland.  

Mr. Bland had a wonderful tenure while at Strom Thurmond. In his 34 years, Mr. Bland completed the following:

2008 SCAAE Program of the Year
2002 SCAAE District Teacher of the Year
2001 Strom Thurmond Career Center Teacher of the Year
2006 Soil Conservation Districts State Teacher of the Year
2005Clemaon Collegiate FFA Teacher of the Year
1989 President SCAAE
1989 Vice-President South Carolina Vocational Teachers Association
2005 National Board Certified
8 Star State Farmers and Agribusinesmen winners
14 Star District Farmers and Agribusinessmen
2005 South Carolina Envirothon State Winner
2004, 2007,2008 South Carolina Envirothon Bronze Team Winner
2007,2008 FFA State Envirothon CDE Winner
Chapter has been a State Soils team qualifier each year since 1989
Chapter Soils team attended national contest in 2006 and was the top scoring team from SC
2003,2004,2005,2006 State Agronomy CDE Winners
1985 Governor’s Citation (Top Chapter Award Winner SC)
99,01,03,04 State Forestry CDE Winners
03 team was gold national winner  (6th place overall)
2003,2008 Nursery Landscaping CDE State Winner
2003 team was gold national winner (10th place overall)
2004 Tractor Driving CDE State Winner
2003 Wildlife CDE State Winner
2001,04,05,06,07,08 96 Woodland Clinic Champions
2004 FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking State Winner
2004 Governor’s Career Student of the Year
2004,2005,2007,2008 Piedmont Tech Consortium Student of the Year
Also, In the past 5 years, he has had:
5 National FFA Scholarship Winners
3 National FFA CDE Scholarship Gold Winners
7 National FFA CDE Gold Winners
2 gold, 3 silver National FFA CDE Winners

He also teamed with Local Soil Conservation District, DNR, and NRCS to build a school district nature lab which includes 3 classrooms, soil pits, 50 tree specimens ID lab, 60 landscape specimens ID lab, turf ID plots, vegetable garden, fruit tree lab, a wetlands lab with boardwalk and deck, wildlife food plots, and grassed trail for erosion control.
As many people have said already, Mrs. Steele has big shoes to fill, but they are shoes she is very familiar with.
Not only is Mrs. Steele a 2004 graduate of Strom Thurmond, but of the Thurmond FFA Chapter. She is also a former president of the Thurmond FFA Chapter.
While at Thurmond, Mrs. Steele was an active member of her chapter participating in the following events: Extemporaneous Public Speaking CDE (1st State), Creed Speaking CDE (3rd State), Nursery Landscaping CDE (1st State, 10th National), Floriculture CDE (3rd State),  State and National FFA Convention, State FFA Leadership Camp, Chapter Parent-Member Banquet, Hooked on Fishing Rodeo, State FFA Horse Judging Clinic, State Legislative Day-Columbia , Miss FFA Pageant, as well as serving as Vice-President and President of the chapter.  
Mrs. Steele is a Clemson graduate where she received her Bachelor’s of Science & Masters Degrees in Agricultural Education.
At Clemson, Mrs. Steele was involved in the following events: Clemson Collegiate FFA Secretary & Vice-President, 2004 First Runner-up, Farm Bureau Discussion Meet, Block & Bridle Social & Scrapbook chair, SC’s Agricultural Education Advisory Committee, Agricultural Mechanization & Business member, 2006 Agricultural Education’s Advisors’ Award, 2008 Lloyd Blanton’ Outstanding Graduate Student Award, as well as being inducted into the Alpha Tau Alpha Honors Society in 2007 and graduating Cum Laude.
Mrs. Steele will be teaching Horticulture 1 & 2, Agricultural Science & Technology, Forestry and Environmental & Natural Resource Management.
Mrs. Steele is the daughter of Ron and Becky Simons of North Augusta and is married to Michael Steele, also a graduate of Clemson University and Manager for Titan Farms of Ridge Spring, SC.