[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 201 (Thursday, November 18, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S8442]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE 2020-2021 NATIONAL FFA OFFICER TEAM

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, I rise today to recognize the 
2020-2021 National FFA officer team who recently retired at the 94th 
National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, IN. Team members 
include president Doster Harper of Georgia, central region vice 
president Paxton Dahmer of Missouri, eastern region vice president 
Miriam Hoffman of Illinois, western region vice president David Lopez 
of California, southern region vice president Artha Jonassaint of 
Florida, and from my home State of Arkansas, National FFA secretary 
Anna Mathis.
  The Future Farmers of America was founded in 1928 by a group of young 
farmers with dreams of developing an organization to address the 
challenges of feeding a growing population. Their leadership was 
founded on their experience and passion for agricultural pursuits. Now 
known as the National FFA Organization to represent its diverse 
membership, FFA grows the next generation of leaders, builds 
communities, and strengthens agriculture. There are 735,038 middle and 
high school FFA members in 8,817 chapters in all 50 States and Puerto 
Rico.
  Each year, six student members are elected to represent FFA as a 
national officer. They serve the organization at the highest level, 
promoting FFA and inspiring members, advisers, staff, teachers, alumni, 
and supporters. These individuals pause their educational pursuits and 
other commitments for an entire year in order to fully dedicate 
themselves to bettering the organization and the agricultural industry. 
National FFA officers spend time attending, speaking at, and 
facilitating FFA camps, conferences, and conventions and often meet 
with donors, stakeholders, and alumni. Additionally, national officers 
serve as members of the National FFA board of directors, a testament to 
FFA being a student-led organization. It is no secret that these young 
leaders have a profound impact on the future of the organization and 
agriculture.
  The 2020-2021 National FFA officer team led the organization with 
character, determination, and grit in the midst of a global pandemic. 
During this year and a half when many schools moved online and 
extracurricular activities at school, such as FFA, were unable to meet 
and continue normally, it is remarkable that, under this team's 
leadership, the number of FFA chapters in the organization increased 
despite the hardships faced. Their tenure as a national officer 
concluded after planning and leading the 94th National FFA Convention 
and Expo. The largest youth convention in the country, this year's 
convention drew over 60,000 registered attendees.
  Behind every great team are hosts of people who support them. I 
commend the families, staff, advisers, teachers, mentors, students, 
alumni, and others who supported these leaders and FFA. Their tenacity 
and leadership is encouraging to those they serve and to myself. I had 
the opportunity to visit with these national officers during their year 
of service. It has been an honor to meet and interact with this team. I 
am ever-increasingly optimistic about the future of agriculture, 
especially with passionate, dedicated leaders like themselves at the 
helm. Doster, Anna, Paxton, Miriam, David, and Artha, I wish you the 
best in your future endeavors and congratulate you for your year of 
service as the 2020-2021 National FFA officer team.

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