I was 50 years old when I was first introduced to FFA and the Blue Jacket.

It was January 2020 when two FFA state officers and three adults involved in FFA came to visit our 5-person executive team at Crystal Flash. None of us was overly familiar with FFA but supporting agriculture and rural life was one of our company’s three philanthropic focus areas and we were interested to learn.

To say we were impressed with those two state officers is an understatement. We were blown away by their poise, passion and communication skills. After their group departed, we sat around marveling at what we had just experienced and wondered, “How do we hire more of those kinds of young people?” Needless to say, we opened our checkbook and started supporting Michigan FFA.

In 2021, the Michigan FFA Foundation came knocking to ask if I would join the board of directors. Not completely sure what I was getting into but intrigued to learn even more, I said yes. And I’m so glad I did! I’ve personally had a fantastic experience interacting with students while judging contests, presenting at career conferences, helping to sell raffle tickets, participating at state convention and more.

Allow me to recount just a select list of FFA and Team Agricultural Education accomplishments over the past few years:

• Twenty years ago, the originators of the FFA Foundation had a goal to create an $8M endowment to help perpetually fund Michigan FFA. That goal was reached at the end of 2021.
• Historically, the Foundation had been an advisory board in partnership with Farm Bureau and MSU. In 2023, the MI FFA Foundation became a stand-alone 501(c)3 charitable organization and hired its first full-time executive director.
• The number of agricultural teachers, the number of FFA chapters, and the number of FFA students has increased each of the past seven years, with students totaling more than 10,000 for the first time in recent memory.
• The State Legislature bestowed a $4 million grant to FFA in 2024 which increased endowed monies by 50 percent!
• Two Michigan students have been elected to serve one-year terms as National FFA officers (the first National President from Michigan in 70 years and the first National Secretary in 65 years.)

In 2028, Michigan FFA will celebrate its 100-year anniversary. It’s clear to me that the foundation of FFA and agriculture education is strong and ready to go 100 more.

As my term as Michigan FFA Foundation board chair comes to an end, I’d like to thank current board members, Jeff Haarer, for introducing FFA to Crystal Flash, and Burt Henry, for asking me to join the foundation. It’s been my pleasure to serve this FFA community alongside a tremendous group of board members and others in the ag industry. The future is bright!

Regards,

2025 Chair, MI FFA Foundation