By Melissa Lua-Duarte, State Treasurer
This month, the Made for Excellence and Advanced Leadership Academy conferences were in full swing! Throughout February, our state officer team traveled across California, bringing these conferences to our members. We had the chance to visit Southern California (Ontario) and the Central Valley (Modesto and Visalia). As this chapter of our year wraps up, we want to thank all the members who made these conferences memorable and unique!
Made up of the student leadership of the Association, the FFA Executive Committee met on February 10 at the California FFA Center for our second meeting of the year. Our state officer team, along with the six regional presidents, discussed important business, including regional reports, important updates, state conference awards, proposed constitutional amendments, and the approval of delegate committees.
Our team also ventured to Tulare for the World Ag Expo from February 11 to 13, where California FFA had a booth promoting the CalAgPlate program. We hosted fun raffles for alumni and had the chance to reconnect with members and meet new ones, all while taking some great photos with our backdrop. One early morning, our team attended the annual prayer breakfast. State President Camille Zavala led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance, and we enjoyed a delicious breakfast, songs, and a moving keynote address.
This month brought a new task: visiting members for the various STAR Awards. In the categories of Star Placement, Star in Agriscience, Star Farmer, and Star in Agribusiness, our team has been traveling to all six regions to meet with these candidates. During the visits, we’ve learned all about their unique projects and filmed videos that will be shown at the State FFA Leadership Conference. Congratulations to these finalists as they take to the stage soon!
In the coming months, our team will be heading to various regional meetings, conducting State FFA Degree ceremonies, and spending a day in Sacramento for Ag Day at the Capitol. And, of course, the countdown to the 97th annual California State FFA Leadership Conference is on! We can’t wait to see thousands of members filling the streets of Sacramento. These upcoming events will bring even more opportunities for meaningful connections with our members and supporters. See you all soon!
