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Officials at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) announced Bobby Carder as this year’s Award of Merit recipient. Carder will be honored during NEO’s homecoming festivities on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014.  This year’s homecoming theme is “There is No Place Like Homecoming.” “Bobby is a great ambassador for NEO A&M College and more than deserving of this honor,” said Jennifer Hessee, executive director of the NEO Development Foundation. “He is a very passionate supporter of the agriculture department and has volunteered countless hours to help enhance the program and its facilities.”

Carder graduated from Monett, Mo., and went on to attend Crowder College in Neosho, Mo. Carder joined Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) Company in 1992 and today serves as an Inspector. ONG serves more 847,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Oklahoma. A familiar face on the campus of NEO, Carder is an avid supporter of NEO’s rodeo team. He is currently a member of the Synar Farm Building committee and in 2014 received the NEO Rodeo supporter of the year award. Carder was also instrumental in the campaign for funding the Red Robertson Multi-Purpose Event and Sports Complex on the NEO campus.

In addition to his volunteer efforts at NEO, Carder has been very active in the Miami community. For the past five years, Carder has chaired Rodeo Miami, which was named the “Rodeo of the Year” by the American Cowboy Rodeo Association (ACRA) for four consecutive years. He has also served on the City of Miami Utility Board and as Ottawa County Special Events Superintendent.  A leader in the 4-H Club, Carder received the Ottawa County 4-H Honorary Award in 2005 and was named Ottawa County 4-H Leader of the Year in 2012. Carder and his wife, Shawn, have been married for 24 years. They have two daughters, Kylee Jo and Addee Larae. Both girls have won the title of Miami Rodeo Queen. The family attends the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ.