Simmons Desiray Simmons 18, of Bringhurst, has been elected to serve as the Indiana FFA State N o r t h e r n Region vice president. She was one of seven individuals elected by their peers to serve as the 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 7

Indiana FFA State Officer Team. A 2006 School, she is the daughter of Jeff and Michelle Simmons.

In her tenure as northern region vice president, Simmons will log more than 30,000 miles meeting with FFA members, agriculture teachers and FFA supporters, as well as top business, government and education leaders from all over Indiana. Her responsibilities will include providing personal growth and leadership training for students, setting policies, and promoting agricultural literacy.

The Indiana FFA State Officer selection process is intense and includes a rigorous assessment of each candidate's years of academic and extracurricular accomplishments. They then submit an in-depth application to the state organization, detailing their accomplishments and contributions to the community, and complete an essay explaining why they wish to be elected to the position. Once at the convention, candidates participate in six rounds of interviews, take an indepth written test on the organization and agricultural topics and complete a writing exercise. A nominating committee, composed of six FFA members and three past state officers, recommends the slate of seven state officers for approval by the convention delegates.

Over the past four years of FFA membership, Simmons has been active on the chapter, district, state, and national level. She has served as chapter reporter and secretary. She also served as the Section II director during the 2005-2006 school year. She has attended several leadership conferences, including Summer Challenge, Premier Leadership Training, and the Leadership Development Workshop. She served as a counselor at both Foundations in Reaching Excellence, and Seeking Opportunities and Achieving Results conferences.

She has attended national convention for three years, two of which she served on national courtesy corps. This past year she was chosen as one of nine national delegates to represent the State of Indiana.

Simmons has participated in several career development events on the chapter, district, and state levels. She has participated in livestock and forestry judging and was a member of the state qualifying livestock judging team last year. She has also participated in Ag Issues Forum, Food Science Demonstration, Horticulture Demonstration, and Female Leadership Ambassador contests.

At the last state convention, she and Carroll FFA chapter member, Nicole Spesard, were recognized as the state winner for their horticulture demonstration.

After serving the Indiana FFA organization and its members, Simmons will attend Purdue University and major in agriculture communications. She plans to pursue a career with a major business in the agricultural industry as their public relations director.

With more than 9,000 members, the Indiana FFA organization is committed to supporting the future of agriculture. Through agricultural education and the FFA, students are able to develop their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success. To contact Simmons at the Indiana FFA Leadership Center, e-mail inffanrvp@yahoo.com.