Session One: Fired Up (April 3, 2025)
Hosted by the CA FFA State Treasurer and State Vice President
Key Notes Speakers: Secretary Karen Ross, California Department of Food and Agriculture; Dr. Rick Rigsby
Special Guests: Dale Brisby, Karis Dadson
Session 1 ignited with high energy as the California FFA State Officers made a bold entrance—riding into the arena on a fire truck to kick off the convention’s theme, Forge. From the start, the message was clear: FFA members are forging their futures—and shaping the future of agriculture. The session, titled Fired Up, was led by our state officers Melissa Lua Duarte (State Treasurer) and John Dein (State Vice President), who brought the energy from the very start.
With over 6,583 members, 663 delegates, and numerous guests and FFA advisors in attendance, the session kicked off with a high-energy pre-show featuring the FFA DJ and the crowd-favorite FFA Dance Cam, setting the stage for an unforgettable night.
After the opening ceremony and officer introductions, members got “fired up” with the highly anticipated Flame Fest, where Dein joked, “I even heard it’s more lit than the TikTok party.” A highlight was the unveiling of the Super Secret Special Box, which revealed five exclusive pins representing Ignite, Transform, Shine, the Forge logo on the FFA Emblem, and the CA Ag Plate. The goal, collect all five pins—available only at this year’s convention—to showcase the member engagement and participation.
Known as the Costco guys, “Big Justice” and his son “AJ” had the crowd echoing with excitement as they declared that CA FFA deserved “five big booms.”
Powerful keynotes added inspiration to the hype. State Secretary, Karen Ross, emphasized that “leadership and communication skills will take you far,” and encouraged members to pursue this season of their lives boldly.
Secretary Ross also helped recognize three FFA chapters for their outstanding efforts in promoting California’s Ag Plates—specialty license plates that help continuously fund FFA programs and opportunities across the state. The chapters were:
- Division 3 – Bakersfield Garces FFA
- Division 2 – El Centro FFA
- Division 1 – Exeter FFA
Excitement continued as the top 2025-26 state officer candidates were introduced to crowd, drawing enthusiastic applause from their fellow members.
Keynote speaker, Dr. Rick Rigsby, took the stage with unforgettable lessons. He shared wisdom from his father, the loss of his first wife, and reminders that “champions aren’t made by doing extraordinary things, but by doing ordinary things consistently.” He closed up by reminding the members to “keep standing” when life gets tough, leaving many in the arena motivated and ready to lead.
The night ended on a high note with the much-anticipated annual mullet contest. Hosted by Dale Brisby, and special guest, Karis Dadson, they unleashed the t-shirt cannon and promised merch to all mullet contest finalists. Closing ceremonies concluded the session.
If this session taught us anything, it’s that leadership begins with passion, perseverance, and staying fired up, even after the lights go out.
