Cindi Freidhof, Alumni Council Section

Non-Traditional Alumni Chapters The 2019-20 Wisconsin FFA State Officer Team visited Alumni members at John Deere Financial earlier this year. Wisconsin currently has three non-traditional FFA Alumni groups which serve our state: CNH Industrial, Culver's and John Deere Financial. They are active in their communities and also at the state level, sharing industry knowledge and volunteering financial resources and time. We are grateful for these corporations who have stepped up as Alumni Chapters!

About your WI FFA Alumni Association 23,397 Members —> 4,140 Annual —> 5,928 Lifetime —> 13,329 Associate

WI FFA Alumni value and support our state's agriculture teachers and FFA advisors!

Did you know? The WI FFA Alumni Association provides a lifetime National FFA Alumni membership to every state officer team. In the above picture, the 2019-20 team accepts this gift.

1. Sponsored 32 students for the National FFA 212 and 360 Leadership Conferences

2. Provided 15 scholarships to the National FFA Washington Leadership Conference

3. Sponsored lifetime Alumni membership scholarships for all 11 State Officers

Alumni Highlights 2018-19

4. Sponsored two agriculture instructors for WAAE’s Professional Development Conference

5. Served as chaperones and hosted games for FFA leadership conferences

Alumni members are dedicated advocates of agriculture education and membership is open to anyone who believes in that mission.

6. Provided leadership workshops at State FFA Convention and Sectional Leadership Workshops

8. Foundation Donor as a Wisconsin FFA State Convention Gold Sponsor

9. Judged district, sectional and state FFA Leadership Development Events

10. Coached and chaperoned local FFA teams and events

Elkhorn FFA graduate and Alumni member Emily Watson may not be close to home right now, but her work as an ag teacher in Clear Lake keeps her FFA roots vital to her everyday life. She served as a Wisconsin FFA State Officer in 2012-13, on a team that endured a tremendous loss of teammate Bethany Rieth just a few years later.

At that time, a fund was set up to honor Bethany through the Wisconsin FFA Foundation, and Emily explains it quickly grew into enough donations from Bethany’s friends and family to form an official endowment. This investment has already begun supporting FFA chapters through community service project grants.

“The goal is to show members how to 'live to serve' in their homes and beyond,” Emily says. “Our hope is that this endowment fund helps to create future adults who are kind and willing to live with a servant’s heart, the way Bethany lived every day.”

A younger donor of the Foundation’s demographic, Emily says she recognizes her peers may find it overwhelming to consider donating, perhaps feeling an insecurity that a monetary donation may not impact as equally as the large amounts shown on banners at FFA events.

She encourages young people to redefine those thoughts and realize that every dollar counts.

“Every dollar you give is one step closer to a student attending a leadership conference for the first time; every dollar is a chance for a shy freshman to participate in a leadership development event; every dollar opens a door for a student to find their purpose in feeding the world,” Emily says.

“Every dollar counts, because we are not giving alone. The dollars you give today add up and together, we can ensure that future FFA members have all of the wonderful opportunities we’ve had, and even more.”

As an ag teacher herself now, she knows another way to leave a legacy is through volunteering at your local chapter. Emily says that a teacher is just one person, but community members, FFA Alumni and other supporters really make students’ experiences better.

“The legacy of FFA continues not because of one person, but of everyone that sees the purpose and mission of FFA to make a positive difference in the lives of students,” she says. “You can make a difference.”

Bethany’s legacy lives on through the Foundation endowment set up by those who loved her most, and saw the impact FFA had on her life. Emily believes leaving a legacy in Wisconsin FFA begins in a person's local chapter and local community, which is “exactly where Bethany found her passion of living to serve.” Foundation Donors Leave a Legacy for a Friend “Bethany had a heart for helping others and her legacy is truly her heart for service.”

What will be your legacy to Wisconsin FFA? You can make a lasting gift to Wisconsin FFA in a matter of minutes. To make a gift today, simply return the enclosed envelope. Or, to learn more about other giving options, contact John Hromyak, Executive Director, at jhromyak@wisconsinffafoundation.org or via phone at 608-831-5058 x3.

1241 John Q. Hammons Dr, Ste 200 Madison, WI 53717 WISCONSIN FFA FOUNDATION Invest in agriculture’s future. Support FFA.

Thank you, WI FFA Foundation Industry Partners!

Philanthropist

CHS Foundation Compeer Financial Culver Franchising System Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association

Patron

AgCountry Farm Credit Services Filament Marketing GROWMARK Landmark Services Cooperative Kerry Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative Renk Seed Rural Mutual Insurance Co. Syngenta Wisconsin Public Service

Benefactor

Alliant Energy Foundation American Foods Group Andis Foundation Armor Animal Health Bio-Vet, Inc. Blain's Farm & Fleet Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin GreenStone Farm Credit Services Hansen Foods Investors Community Bank Land O'Lakes Foundation Minntex Citrus, Inc. - Iowa Russ Davis Wholesale/Crazy Fresh Produce Seneca Foods Corporation U.S. Army ROTC 3rd BDE Wisconsin Agri-Business Association Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation

Connect with Us The Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association wants to connect with you! We are updating records of members and want to make sure you are aware of upcoming events, achievements and service opportunities.

Please email Executive Director Cheryl Steinbach at execdir@wisconsinffaalumni.org with updated contact information, or simply return the enclosed donation envelope to the Foundation office.

We value your Alumni membership and know FFA means a lot to you! It means a lot to us too!

Thank you for doing your part to keep the Wisconsin FFA Alumni strong advocates for our more than 20,000 FFA members statewide.