Collins Named New 4-H Agent

The Board of Directors of the Breathitt County Cooperative Extension Service announced on Monday that Eric Collins has been hired as the newest 4-H Youth Development Agent for Breathitt County.

Collins, a 1997 graduate of Breathitt High School, is no stranger to the duties of the job.  He was hired in 2023 and served as the 4-H Agent in Lee County.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to come back home,” Collins said in an Extension Office press release.  “My goal is to build on the program's success while also expanding its reach.”

Collins replaces Ryan Spicer, who left the position in September 2025, to return to the classroom.

The new agent said that and his wife, the former Brandi Herald, are native Breathitt Countians but currently live in Morgan County with their son, Benjamin, and a “houseful of dogs and cats.”

The son of Alton Collins and Dosha (Chapman) Back, Collins is well-known in Breathitt County and was a member of two state championship football teams, earning First-Team All-State honors in 1997.

Over the decades, thousands of Breathitt County students have participated in the Breathitt County 4-H program under the guidance of several capable leaders, including long-time and much-loved agent Jack Niece.

He also inherits the recipe and keys to the “Corndog Kingdom,” and becomes the de facto President of the Breathitt County Corn Dog College.

Collins plans to hit the ground running.  “I want to offer new and varied opportunities to help the youth of Breathitt County gain the skills and traits they need to be successful in whatever path they choose in life,” Collins said.

He assumed his new position in January and has already begun working toward that goal.