The Wisconsin FFA Foundation has achieved another record fundraising year in its 2014-15 campaign, raising a total of $555,496.07 - over 10 percent more than last year and almost $45,500 higher than the Foundation's campaign goal. This exciting announcement was given at the recent 2015 Wisconsin FFA Convention held in Madison from June 15-18. The philanthropic milestone is due to the generous collaboration of industry, individual and FFA-related sponsors. It also means even greater financial support for agricultural education and FFA members around the state. In fact, the Wisconsin Association of FFA is celebrating its own record of 19,484 registered members in 2014-15, a 31-year high.
"My time at this year's Wisconsin FFA Convention was special in many ways and celebrating this year's success of the Foundation was just one of the reasons," says Lori Lulich, Past President of Wisconsin FFA Foundation. "The Foundation surpassed another fundraising goal in 2014-15 and welcomed four truly accomplished business professionals to the board. Our team is stronger than ever and because of its dedication to the future, so is the state of FFA and agricultural education in Wisconsin."
The Wisconsin FFA Foundation was started in 1983 by Arnold and Katherine Cordes and has since grown into a three-person staff (one full-time executive director and two part-time support staff), as well as a governing board of directors.
Much of the credit for the Wisconsin FFA Foundation's success can be given to this board of directors, who actively lead the Foundation's efforts and individually work to raise funds for FFA programs. Together, this team builds financial support for and awareness of Wisconsin FFA programs with the goal of ensuring that agricultural students across the state have access to leadership, educational and career development opportunities.
"I have the honor of working with this dedicated team of directors and am proud of the past year's accomplishments and what they mean for the future of FFA in Wisconsin," says Sara Schoenborn, Wisconsin FFA Foundation Executive Director. "We continually strive to surpass our fundraising goal, only for the opportunity to offer additional leadership programs, awards and career-focused opportunities to our deserving FFA members, alumni and agricultural education instructors."
The Foundation also announced its 2015-16 board of directors during the convention. The newly elected group is responsible for the fiscal health of the organization, and makes operational as well as strategic decisions in guiding the Foundation's efforts and future.
The 2015-2016 officers for the Wisconsin FFA Foundation Board of Directors include: President: Travis Holt, Citizens State Bank of Loyal; Past President: Lori Lulich, Brownfield Ag News; Vice President: Amber Vickers Keller, Union Bank and Trust Company; Secretary: Scott Vosters, The Bank of New Glarus; and Treasurer: Nick Hemling, ANIMART.
Additional 2015-2016 board members include: Jon Anderson, Grade A Strategic Bank and Marketing Solutions; Robin Connelly, Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative; Ginger James, AgroChem; Darren Kittleson, Keller Williams Realty; Jason Kollwelter, We Energies; William Lucas, CNH Industrial Capital; Kathleen A. Murphy, John Deere Financial; Janice Schyvinck, Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association; Luke Wiedenfeld, Kraft Foods-Oscar Mayer; Tim Wyss, Retired Agricultural Education Instructor at Clear Lake; Mark Zidon, University of Wisconsin-Platteville; Jeff Zobeck, Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators; Regina Oldendorf, Wisconsin FFA Alumni; Sally Albers, Wisconsin Association of FFA; Jeff Hicken, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction; and Cheryl Zimmerman, Wisconsin FFA Center.
The Wisconsin FFA Foundation is looking forward to another great year, and thanks the board and all donors, at each and every level of support, for making FFA a part of their philanthropic choice in 2014-15.
The Wisconsin FFA Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) organization, unites individuals, organizations and companies who share a common interest in the advancement of agriculture and community leadership through FFA. You can support today's FFA members by supporting the programs that have been core tenets of the FFA: proficiency awards, career development events, state FFA degrees, sectional leadership workshops, scholarships, chapter awards, agri-science fair, state FFA convention and state officer support. Learn more about the Wisconsin FFA Foundation and sponsorship opportunities by visiting www.wisconsinffafoundation.org