By Camille Zavala, State President
Since the last update, the state officer team wrapped up the end of the year with a jam-packed month of December. We first had the privilege of attending the California Farm Bureau Annual Meeting and Young Farmers and Ranchers State Conference in Monterey, where we assisted with the discussion meet contest and made valuable connections with industry professionals from all over the state. We also attended the Almond Board of California’s Almond Conference in Sacramento to connect with industry sponsors, assist with a silent auction benefiting FFA, and serve alongside local FFA chapters.
Starting in January, the state officer team embraced a new season of conferences across the state. The Made for Excellence (MFE) and Advanced Leadership Academy (ALA) conferences are designed to foster leadership skills in outstanding FFA sophomores and juniors. This year, the team facilitating the MFE conferences includes Camille, Josh, and Melissa. The dynamic duo, John and Gianna, are leading ALA conferences. So far, highlights from the conference season include meeting members from across the state, discovering the key traits of leadership and how to thrive on a team, and, of course, enjoying the energy-packed dances at night. We’re looking forward to finishing the season with conferences in Modesto, Ontario, and Visalia—we hope to see you there!
Chapter visit season has slowly come to a close, and we couldn’t be more grateful for all of the FFA members we had the opportunity to meet, the chapters that welcomed us with incredible hospitality, and all the adventures we experienced along the way.
Planning for the State FFA Leadership Conference is quickly coming together. It’s hard to believe that in less than three months, more than 7,000 FFA members and guests will be flooding the streets of Sacramento again. We’re so excited to welcome everyone back to the Golden 1 Center in April to celebrate all of the year’s accomplishments and forge the future of our organization.
In the near future, we’re eagerly anticipating our time at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, as well as meeting and filming STAR award candidates for the State FFA Leadership Conference. As the year winds down, we’re soaking up the last couple of months in office. We’ve been so blessed by our time with members, advisors, and industry professionals this year—and we can’t wait to finish strong!
