INDIANAPOLIS – The National FFA Organization has named Corey Flournoy the executive in residence for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

In this role, Flournoy will guide the leadership team and national boards on EDI matters. He will design, implement and evaluate an EDI strategy in alignment with the organization’s strategic plan and lead relationship development and collaborative initiatives with partner organizations. In addition, he will create and moderate safe spaces for honest and practical dialogue around diversity and inclusion while challenging conventional wisdom and developing and delivering EDI training, tools and resources to FFA stakeholder groups.

“We are excited to have Corey as part of our team in this role,” said Scott Stump, CEO of the National FFA Organization. “We want to ensure our current and future members feel welcomed, and FFA is indeed a place for all to feel valued and contribute to our mission. We believe Corey is the right person to help us achieve this goal.”

Flournoy, a former FFA member and the first African-American National FFA president, brings 30 plus years of experience and recognized leadership in diversity and inclusion programming. Flournoy is the principal of Creative Outreach Consulting, LLC where he delivers a 360-degree holistic approach to individual and organizational transformative change through proven practices, programs and processes in leadership development, personal coaching and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). He recently served as vice president of people and culture development at Aurora, overseeing DEI and learning and development. He was also Groupon’s first global head of inclusion and diversity.

“My overall goal is to help us rethink how we talk about and approach EDI to truly make FFA and agricultural education a place where all students can discover and develop their potential, as stated in our FFA mission,” Flournoy said. “Thus, we need to change how we view this organization, going from ‘Us vs. Them’ to becoming a ‘We,’ which only comes when every classroom, event and function is a place where any student feels like they belong.”