SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Nashville, Ill., High School District 99 FFA Chapter, under the advisorship of Julie Bond-Ledford, had a remarkable 95th Illinois FFA State Convention, held June 13-15 in Springfield.

Not only was chapter and section president Eric Wisely elected to the position of Illinois FFA vice president, the group earned National Finalist and Gold Emblem Ranking for the FFA National Chapter Award Program, and was state winner in the Illinois Farm Bureau’s Harvest for All award.

But that wasn’t all. Nashville FFA Reporter Lily Emge provided Farm World with this whopping list of the chapter’s 2023 convention highlights:

• Illinois FFA State Vice President - Eric Wisely

• National Chapter Award Program - National Finalist & Gold Emblem Ranking

• Illinois Farm Bureau Harvest for All - State Winner

• Non-Reasons Dairy Judging CDE State Winners - Dallas Burr, Dakota Hanenberger, Gracen Hoffman, Collin Rolf, Jordan Schuette

• Non-Reasons Dairy Judging CDE Top Individual - Gracen Hoffman

• SOE Finance & Business State Winner - Erica Kujawa

• Dairy Production Entrepreneurship State Proficiency Winner - Gracen Hoffman

• Forest Management & Products State Proficiency Winner - Joel Bergmann

• Poultry Production State Proficiency Winner - Garrett Williamson

• Swine Production Placement State Proficiency Winner - Kaiden Boester

• Illinois FFA State Degree Recipient - Malayna Bock

• Illinois FFA State Degree Recipient- Kaiden Boester

• Illinois FFA State Degree Recipient- Bradley Bowers

• Illinois FFA State Degree Recipient- Gracen Hoffman

• Illinois FFA State Degree Recipient- Kyley Kwiatkowski

• Illinois FFA State Degree Recipient- Sophie Schubert

• Illinois FFA State Degree Recipient (Section Star Farmer) - Garrett Williamson

• Greenhand Quizbowl CDE- 3rd Place Team - Tessa Bergmann, Lily Emge, Lily Tejada, Maliah Riechmann, Grace Tolliver

• Top Ten Section President Award - Eric Wisely

• Top Ten Chapter President Award - Jada Winka

• Top Ten Chapter Reporter - Avery Piasecki

• Job Interview LDE State Finalist - Sophie Schubert

• Extemporaneous Public Speaking State Finalist - Garrett Williamson

• Creed Speaking State Finalist - Maliah Riechmann

• Section President Parent & Adviser Recognition - Eric Wisely, Jim & Denise Wisely, Mrs. Julie Bond-Ledford

• Farm Credit Newsroom Workers - Lily Emge, Avery Piasecki, Lily Tejada

• Courtesy Corps Workers - Ethan Malone, Grace Tolliver

Following his victory, Wisely, 19, of Oakdale in Washington County, told ag media that his experience in FFA has shaped him into a stronger leader. “I’m a stronger person and someone who is a lot more comfortable in his own skin,” Wisely said. “I’m looking forward to connecting with members all across the state and the teachers, of course, and looking at the cultures those teachers have created inside their classrooms.

“My message to the members would be to take all the opportunities that are given to you in the FFA. There are a lot of them, and our members are not always aware of all of them, but I hope they take advantage of them and grow through them.”

Following Wisely’s election on the afternoon of June 15, Bond-Ledford and her joyous FFA chapter met up in a backstage tunnel at the Bank of Springfield Center, home of the Illinois State FFA Convention, for a group hug and photos.

“This has been a dream-come-true type of state convention for these young people,” Bond-Ledford said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the whole group.”