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![]() Oct. 29, 2024 By Hannah Spangler, Illinois Farm Bureau's FarmWeek.com Illinois' Thaddeus Bergschneider was named president of the National FFA Saturday during the organization's convention in Indianapolis. Bergschneider, former Illinois FFA state president, was among 37 candidates from different state FFA associations who vied for six spots on the 2024-25 National FFA officer team. "When they elected me, just pure shock and pure joy of wow, they want Thad Bergschneider to lead this organization and be a part of the six people that are going to shape this organization's future," Bergschneider said of what was going through his mind the moment his name was announced as president. For the next year, Bergschneider and his teammates -- Secretary Luke Jennings, Ohio; Central Region Vice President Mary Schrieber, Wisconsin; Eastern Region Vice President Caroline Groth, Kentucky; Western Region Vice President Abigale Jacobsen, California; and Southern Region Vice President Jack Lingenfelter, Georgia -- will lead the student organization, which surpassed 1 million members in August. Bergschneider told FarmWeek he looks forward to making new connections as he serves the organization for another year. "We have to continue to make all members feel like they belong and engage them in FFA, and that means members from traditional and production ag backgrounds who question if they belong and that means members from urban backgrounds who question whether FFA and agriculture is the industry they want to participate in," he said. "Every single member needs to know that they have a place in this organization, and that falls on us." Even though Bergschneider grew up on a farm, he originally told his dad, Paul, he didn't want to join FFA. His passions looked different than his oldest brother Luke's, so he was unsure if FFA was for him. But his dad told him to try it anyway. To read entire report, Click Here. Tweet |
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