GATLINBURG, TN— During the 89th Tennessee FFA State Convention, March 26-29, the 2017-2018 Tennessee FFA State Officer Team was elected to serve the Association. The eight individuals elected are: President, Julia Knaggs, Station Camp; Secretary, Erin Bacon, Jefferson County; West Tennessee Vice President, Allie Jo Shankle, Paris; Middle Tennessee Vice President, Mary Lane Minatra, Eagleville; East Tennessee Vice President, Kenzie Bastian, David Crockett; Treasurer, Will Gregory, East Robertson; Reporter, Ahmon Watkins, Oakland; Sentinel, Elizabeth Arwood, Daniel Boone.
The interview process began Saturday afternoon and finished Sunday evening. This year, 27 candidates from across Tennessee went through an extensive process consisting of a knowledge exam, letter writing exercise, a leadership interview, agricultural issues interview, and finally, a group interview. This process is scored by a twelve member nominating committee. The committee is comprised of six FFA members, two from each region and six adult members. The adult members are agribusiness personnel, agriculture teachers and an agricultural education professor from a Tennessee university. The nominating committee announces their decision on Wednesday morning, the final day of convention and delegates vote to approve the nominees.
The newly elected officer team will spend the first few months in their respective offices training and preparing for the year ahead. Their first event will be their BLAST OFF training organized by the National FFA Organization. This summer they will lead FFA Camp and participate in various conferences and meetings. The interview process is sponsored by Tennessee Farmers Cooperative and Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee.
FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. Nationally, there are 649,355 FFA members, aged 12-21. The Tennessee FFA Association is comprised of 14,084 members from 214 high school chapters, 7 middle school chapters, and 8 collegiate chapters across the state of Tennessee.
(Photo Caption: Newly elected Tennessee FFA State Officers tap the gavel to adjourn the 89th Tennessee FFA State Convention. Left to Right: Julia Knaggs, President; Erin Bacon, Secretary; Marylane Minatra, Middle Tennessee Vice President; Elizabeth Arwood, Sentinel; Will Gregory, Treasurer; Kenzie Bastian, East Tennessee Vice President; Allie Jo Shankle, West Tennessee Vice President; and Ahmon Watkins, Reporter.)