HR0921 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0921 LRB103 43137 LAW 76397 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Thaddeus Bergschneider on being named president of the National FFA Organization at the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo, which was held in Indianapolis, Indiana from October 23 to October 26, 2024; and

WHEREAS, The National FFA Organization, a school-based youth leadership development organization formerly known as the Future Farmers of America (FFA), consists of more than one million student members from 9,163 local FFA chapters located across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; and

WHEREAS, Thaddeus Bergschneider, the former state president of the Illinois FFA, was among 37 candidates from different state FFA associations who vied for six spots on the 2024-25 National FFA Officer Team; and

WHEREAS, Thaddeus Bergschneider, while raised on a farm, did not originally plan to join FFA due to his interests differing from those of his elder brother, Luke, and his father; rather, his FFA journey came about through his father, a former FFA member who explained to him that there was a path and place for everyone in the organization, and through his agriculture teachers, Kaitlyn Kane and Brent Nelson, who played integral roles in shaping his passions throughout high school; and

WHEREAS, Thaddeus Bergschneider and his fellow members of the 2024-25 National FFA Officer Team, Secretary Luke Jennings of Ohio, Central Region Vice President Mary Schrieber of Wisconsin, Eastern Region Vice President Caroline Groth of Kentucky, Western Region Vice President Abigale Jacobsen of California, and Southern Region Vice President Jack Lingenfelter of Georgia, will lead the national student organization for the next year; and

WHEREAS, Throughout their year of service to the National FFA Organization, Thaddeus Bergschneider and his fellow officers will interact with a number of entities and individuals, including business and industry leaders, thousands of FFA members and teachers, corporate partners, government and education officials, state FFA leaders, the general public, and more, in order to guide the future of FFA and its next generation of leaders; and

WHEREAS, Thaddeus Bergschneider, who is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Finance in Agribusiness at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has communicated his desire to serve as a national officer unafraid of expressing his vulnerabilities to members in order to unite them in their shared struggles; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Thaddeus Bergschneider on being named president of the National FFA Organization at the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo, and we wish him continued success in his endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Thaddeus Bergschneider as an expression of our esteem and respect.