Officers of the Tonkawa FFA chapter participated in the 2020 Oklahoma FFA Chapter Officer Leadership Training Conference Sep. 29 at the Enid Events Center in Enid, Oklahoma. The eight state FFA officers planned and conducted this year’s conference based on the theme, “Reduce, Renew, Resolve.” Elected officers from each of the 62 high school FFA chapters in the Northwest area attended the conference, which equipped each student with leadership tools that focused on conflict resolution within a team. This year, the conference was split into two sessions to allow for proper social distancing protocols, and all participants were required to wear masks. Kelly Barnes, Choctaw, Oklahoma, was the keynote speaker for the conference. He is an accomplished professional speaker and leadership coach and served as state FFA president in 2003-2004. “Amid what we have come to understand as a new normal, it’s imperative that FFA members are able to provide leadership on the frontlines of the world,” said Tanner Taylor, state FFA president. “As a state officer team, we feel it is important that chapter officers are able to reduce the drama within teams, renew their passion for serving others and resolve any conflict that may arise throughout the unpredictable future.” Officers attending from the Tonkawa chapter were: Tyler Gilbert, Secretary; Savannah Neighbors, Reporter; and Riley Price, Sentinel; and Dale Goodwin, Adviser. COLT Conference is sponsored by Public Service Company of Oklahoma as a special project of the Oklahoma FFA Foundation. FFA is an integral part of the agricultural education division of the Oklahoma Department of CareerTech Education. There are 26,466 Oklahoma FFA members in 365 high schools statewide. For more information visit www.okffa.org. Two state FFA officers are included in the photo. Sitting in the front row, far left, is Tate Ott, Lomega, northwest area vice president. Sitting in the front row, far right, is Koda Oller, Garber, state secretary.
