Perspective Oklahoma Farm Bureau
www.okfarmbureau.org
Nov. 13, 2015
Monica Wilke, OKFB executive director (middle), and Tyler Norvell, district three YF&R committee member (second from right) receive the Honorary American FFA Degree Oct. 30 at the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. Joining the honorees are Jack Staats, Oklahoma FFA adviser (far left), Travis Bradshaw, Burlington FFA adviser and Honorary American FFA Degree recipient, and Kent Boggs, Oklahoma FFA executive secretary (far right). Photo courtesy of Ron Hays.
OKFB’s Wilke, Norvell receive Honorary American FFA Degrees onica Wilke, executive director of Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies, received the Honorary American FFA Degree Oct. 30 at the National FFA Convention & Expo in Louisville, Kentucky. Tyler Norvell, OKFB district three Young Farmers & Ranchers committee member also received the Honorary American FFA Degree. Presented by the National FFA Organization, the award recognizes individuals committed to advancing agricultural education and FFA. It also creates an opportunity to thank those who have made an extraordinary longterm difference in the lives of students,
inspiring confidence in a new generation of agriculturalists. “Agricultural education and FFA played a critical role in developing my own leadership skills, and continue to develop young leaders in agriculture,” Wilke said. “As a former member and long-time supporter, I am humbled to receive this award.” Wilke grew up on a farm in the southwestern Oklahoma town of Grandfield, where she was actively involved in FFA. She served the Oklahoma FFA Association as state FFA secretary during her freshman year at Oklahoma State University. She continues to serve the Oklahoma FFA
Association as a member of the Oklahoma FFA Foundation board of directors. Under Wilke’s direction, Oklahoma Farm Bureau has remained a tremendous supporter of FFA programs including state convention, livestock judging contests, speech contests and more. Norvell, of Tuttle, serves as the executive director of the Oklahoma Youth Expo, which is known as the world’s largest junior livestock show. For more information about the National FFA Organization, visit www.ffa.org.