June 10, 2014 Contact: Tyler Grandil,

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1 June 10, 2014 Contact: Tyler Grandil, Over 1,000 students and friends of Arizona FFA attend its 85 th annual conference! Blue corduroy jackets may not normally be your first choice of apparel for Tucson in the middle of the summer. However, nearly 1,000 high school students showed up proudly sporting their official blue jackets at the University of Arizona this past weekend. The reason The Arizona FFA State Leadership Conference. This annual conference celebrates a year of hard work for members of the National FFA Organization, an organization formerly referred to as Future Farmers of America. The FFA is among the nation s largest youth organizations, containing over 551,000 members nationwide and over 9,438 members here in Arizona. Although rooted in farming, the FFA has evolved over time in sync with the changing agriculture industry and the opportunities available to FFA members aim to develop leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. At the recent State FFA Leadership Conference this past weekend FFA members from across the state had the opportunity to compete in FFA contests (known as Career Development Events ) as individuals or on teams. In the prepared public speaking event, students created and presented six to eight minute speeches on agriculturally-related topics from water rights to immigration and were then questioned by the judges on their individual topics. In the extemporaneous public speaking contest, participants were allowed to bring resources along with them to the contest and then drew a random agricultural topic that they then had thirty minutes in which to prepare a speech and later presented to a panel of judges. Another individual contest available to FFA members was the State Agriscience fair, where students presented science projects related to subjects from zoology to environmental science. Besides competing as individuals, students participated in team events such as parliamentary procedure, a contest where FFA members demonstrated their ability to effectively run a meeting using the same rules and proceedings that our national government has been using for centuries. Below is a list of our winners: Team// Award Winner Superior Mayer FFA Superior Pima JTED FFA Superior San Simon FFA National (Bronze) AAEC-Prescott Valley FFA National (Bronze) Antelope FFA National (Bronze) Cibola FFA National (Bronze) Dobson FFA National (Bronze) Flowing Wells FFA National (Bronze) Gilbert FFA

2 National (Bronze) Tonopah Valley FFA National (Bronze) Westwood FFA National (Silver) Buckeye FFA National (Silver) Chandler FFA National (Silver) Elfrida FFA National (Silver) Gila Ridge FFA National (Silver) Paradise Valley FFA National (Silver) Payson FFA National (Silver) Willcox FFA National (Silver) Yuma FFA National (Gold) Basha FFA National (Gold) Casa Grande FFA National (Gold) Chino Valley FFA National (Gold) Globe FFA National Award State Winning Casa Grande FFA Washington Leadership Conference Taicey Johnson, Antelope Program FFA Conduct of Meetings CDE AAEC-Estrella Mountain Arizona FFA Administrator of the Year Tom Safranek, Assistant Principal at Yuma High School s Retiring Advisors Sean Wright Arizona FFA Alumni Award Ms. Raney Brown Star State Greenhand Justin Kibler, Willcox FFA Alpha Gamma Rho AJ Argueta, Peoria FFA Alpha Gamma Rho Isaiah Govea, Paradise Valley FFA Andrea Lohr Isaiah Govea, Paradise Valley FFA Arizona FFA Alumni Justen Ollendick, Gilbert FFA Sage Ward, Safford FFA Carnell Sipes Memorial

3 Cy Henry Memorial Dr. Glen Miller Ag Ed Duane Daley Memorial Emil M. Rovey Memorial Farm Credit Services Southwest Farm Credit Services Southwest James Accomazzo Memorial Ronald Rayner Family Ronald Rayner Family Salt River Project/FFA Salt River Project/FFA Maya Wallace, Sabino FFA Randy Landwerlen, University of Arizona Aleah Shook, Cibola FFA Bryette Sipes, Casa Grande FFA Kayla Kerr, Buckeye FFA Allison Schindler, Millennium FFA Megan McWherter, Casa Grande FFA McKinley Reed, University of Arizona Cheyanne Keith, University of Arizona Mary Shaw, University of Arizona Kelli Rovey, University of Arizona Auburn Osborne, Millennium FFA Lillian Webb, Millennium FFA Preston Sipes, Casa Grande FFA Sierra Johnson, Peoria FFA Allison Schindler, Millennium FFA Mariah McNevins, Mayer FFA Maddie Zambrano, Chino Valley FFA Bailey LaFrance, Casa Grande FFA

4 Preston Sipes, Casa Grande FFA Young Farmers & Ranchers Allison Schindler, Millennium FFA Agricultural Communications Francisca Martinez Beef Production-Placement Mackenzie Kimbro Swine Production-Entrepreneurship Sydney Parsley Agricultural Services Allison Schindler Agricultural Mechanics Repair and Maintenance-Entrepreneurship Tyler Owen Agriscience Research-Integrated Systems Noah Weakly Agriscience Research-Plant Systems Noah Weakly Agricultural Education Alexander Schaller Agricultural Mechanics Design & Fabrication Brett Eschliman Poultry Production Jeffrey Thimgan Nursery Operations Bryce Palfreyman Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management Emile Stubbert Vegetable Production Keyleigh Jones Fruit Production Marisa De La Cruz Agricultural Mechanics Energy Systems Melody Baxter Diversified Livestock Production Sydney Parsley Equine Science-Placement Aimee LeQuesne Equine Science-Entrepreneurship Hayley Melton Forage Production Jeffrey Thimgan Goat Production Christian Frazier Agricultural Sales-Placement Jonathan Sukosky Agricultural Sales-Entrepreneurship Preston Sweatt Beef Production-Entrepreneurship Alicia Smith Outdoor Recreation Ashlee Mortimer Wildlife Management Emile Stubbert Diversified Horticulture Alexander Schaller Sheep Production Kelsie Faulkner

5 Landscape Management Austin Haworth Specialty Animal Production Preslee West Diversified Crop Production- Placement Alexander Schaller Home and/or Community Development Alexander Schaller Small Animal Production & Care Alexander Schaller Veterinary Science Colee Pehl Ms. Raney Brown, United States Department of Agriculture Ms. Sarah Dyer, Gila Ridge FFA Mr. Mike Jorajuria, Antelope FFA Mrs. Annette Lagunas, Yuma Territorial FFA Alumni Mr. Ramon Lagunas, Yuma Territorial FFA Alumni Ms. Sandi Liska, Yuma Territorial Alumni Team State-Winning Parliamentary Procedure Team Chandler FFA Agriculturalist of the Year Mr. Alex Dees, Yuma, AZ Arizona Star in Agribusiness Preston Sweatt, Benson FFA Arizona FFA Star in Agricultural Placement Preston Sweatt, Benson FFA Arizona FFA Star in Agricultural Production Riley Klump, San Simon FFA Online Test Top Scorer-Agricultural Education Kaylee Oesterreich, Camp Verde FFA Online Test Top Scorer-Agriscience Fair Shelby Reno, Gilbert FFA Online Test Top Scorer-Conduct of Meetings Danielle Greenhagen, Payson FFA Online Test Top Scorer- Extemporaneous Speaking Susie Puga, Antelope FFA

6 Overall winner Overall winner Overall winner Online Test Top Scorer- Extemporaneous Speaking Online Test Top Scorer-Parliamentary Procedure Online Test Top Scorer-Prepared Public Speaking Scrapbook Award-Large winner Scrapbook Award-Small winner Scrapbook Award-Overall winner Display winner-agriscience Fair-Division I-Animal Systems Display winner-agriscience Fair-Division I-Environmental Services/Natural Resources Display overall winner- Agriscience Fair-Division I Display winner-agriscience Fair-Division II-Food Products and Processing Systems Display winner-agriscience Fair-Division II-Plant Systems Display winner-agriscience Fair-Division II-Power, Structural and Technical Systems Display winner-agriscience Fair-Division II Display winner-agriscience Fair-Division III-Animal Systems Display winner-agriscience Fair-Division IV-Food Products and Processing Systems Display winner-agriscience Fair-Division IV-Environmental Services/Natural Resource Systems Display overall winner- Agriscience Fair-Division IV Nicole Van Eerd, Queen Creek FFA Riley Lewis, Chandler FFA Kourtney Balsan, Millennium FFA Antelope FFA Antelope FFA Dobson FFA Gabby Rivera-Diaz, Gilbert FFA Alexis Franks, Gila Ridge FFA Gabby Rivera-Diaz, Gilbert FFA Samantha Ollendick, Gilbert FFA Yamilex Ramirez, Rio Rico FFA Crystal Myers, Highland FFA Yamilex Ramirez, Rio Rico FFA Kinsey Green, Campo Verde FFA Sydney Ollendick, Gilbert FFA Noah Weakly, Gilbert FFA Noah Weakly & Bryanne Waller, Gilbert FFA

7 Internet CDE Paradise Valley FFA Agricultural Issues CDE team Buckeye FFA Newsletter CDE Paradise Valley FFA Arizona FFA Agricultural Education CDE winner Alex Stinson, Elfrida FFA Arizona FFA State Prepared Public Victoria Okula, AAEC-Estrella Speaking winner Arizona FFA State Extemporaneous winner Mountain Nicole Van Eerd, Queen Creek FFA In addition to contests, conference attendees had the opportunity to participate in other aspects of the State Leadership Conference. FFA members attended workshops and conference social events where they met students from across the state of Arizona. Additionally, members attended sessions where the Arizona FFA recognized supporters from the community, awarded scholarships to college-bound students and recognized student award recipients from FFA events throughout the year. These sessions also included remarks from acclaimed motivational speakers, a visiting National FFA Officer and ten retiring Arizona State FFA Officers who have spent the past year as both college students and representatives of the Arizona FFA by attending events in the agriculture industry, visiting FFA programs across the state and planning and attending FFA conferences and events. Some select students served as delegates to the conference representing their high school FFA chapters. These students were responsible for creating and voting on any desired changes to the Arizona FFA constitution and bylaws as well as playing a role in the election of a new set of Arizona FFA State Officers. The FFA may have begun in a small farming town in Virginia, but the organization is still alive and kicking over eighty years since its modest beginnings. Here in Arizona, the FFA is in high schools such as Pinon and Yuma and everywhere in between. The recent State FFA Leadership Conference brought to light once again the quality of the FFA organization and the positive impact that it has in the lives of students. FFA is a national youth organization of 551,666 student members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture with 7,489 local chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Arizona boasts 9,438 members in 74 high schools all across the state. FFA strives 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. For more information about Arizona FFA, visit ###