ECI FFA member begins service as an area FFA Officer

Posted

Shanna Wilkerson, a member of the Emanuel County Institute FFA chapter, began her term as the Area 4 Sentinel on July 29-30, 2022, when the Georgia FFA area officers met for the Area Officer Training Conference.

Forty-eight new area officers from six areas of the state attended the two-day training conference held at the FFA Camp John Hope near Fort Valley. The objective was to orient the new officers to their position as area leaders. Each area team met with a member of their regional agricultural education staff, as well as the Georgia FFA leadership program specialist, FFA executive secretary, and state FFA advisor to discuss their roles and responsibilities. The officers explored their decision-making process, developed a team philosophy of leadership, discovered what it means to be an ambassador for the FFA, and began setting goals for the coming year.

Throughout the school year, Shanna Wilkerson and her fellow officers will have the opportunity to represent Area 4 FFA members at a variety of teachers’ meetings, career development events, leadership conferences and area training activities.

The first assignment given to the new area officers was the FFA Day at the Fair program. In October, more than 2,000 middle school students will meet in Perry to attend FFA Day at the Georgia National Fair. Their hosts for the event will be the Area Officers. Each officer team has been charged with creating booths and displays that showcase the benefits of FFA and agricultural education.

Next spring, each Area Officer team will be responsible for conducting their respective Area banquet and award assemblies. The officers will also serve as courtesy corps at the Georgia State FFA Convention in Macon in April 2023. The Georgia FFA Association has a membership of more than 42,000 making it the third largest association in the nation. The National FFA Organization is a national organization of over 600,000 members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture. FFA is an integral part of the agricultural education program in public schools. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.