NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When it comes to preparing FFA leaders for national service, Tennessee must hold some sort of patent, because four of the last six national officer teams have included members from the Volunteer State.

Last year Mitch Baker served as the national secretary. During this year’s annual convention, Stephen McBride was elected to serve as Southern Region vice president.

Allie Ellis, the state’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) specialist for FFA, works with all state officers and competitions, as well as state conferences and conventions. She said both Baker and McBride served on the same state officer team; McBride served as president of the team.

“We have over 13,000 FFA members, and one thing that is kind of unique in Tennessee is how much all of the student organizations work together,” she said. “All of the state officers come in for leadership training in the summer from all the different CTE student organizations, and we also do a legislation conference.”

That training has obviously paid off, and Tennessee ag education in general is highly regarded. Ellis said this is the first year for new agriculture curricula, all of which is tied to the state standards for literacy.

“We have brand new curriculum that involves a lot of dual credit and dual enrollment and just making sure it is rigorous curriculum,” she said. “I think by doing that we’re bringing in some really good students and they get into those classes and see what FFA can offer.”

McBride, who becomes the 13th national officer from Tennessee elected since 1928, comes from a family with a rich heritage in FFA. His father and brother both served as state presidents. He also had another brother who was involved with FFA.

“He definitely had a legacy coming into it, but he is the first one in the family to go on to become a national officer,” said Ellis.

McBride is a student at the University of Tennessee at Martin. He said he learned a lot about the organization by watching his older brothers participate.

“My dad was elected as state FFA president in 1980 and went on to work for the Department of Agriculture. My mom, who is from Iowa, was a 4-H agent and that’s how their paths crossed,” he said. “They wanted their sons to be involved in FFA and 4-H just as they were.”

McBride said his first experience with the National Convention came when he was in the third grade, while attending to watch his older brother participate. “I saw that first team of national officers and I thought how cool it would be to have that experience some day and be involved like that.”

He gained an even more close-up look at the life of an officer when his brother was elected as state president. By the time he had entered high school to begin his journey with FFA, his family moved from their West Tennessee home to a new area, meaning a new school district for him.

“I was finally getting my opportunity to be a member and trying to do everything I could,” he said. “I had so much fun in the first few years transitioning from looking up to my older brothers and finally being in that active role.”

Growing up around the organization has proven to be a benefit for McBride through family members as well as the many friends who have gone on to serve FFA at the state and national levels.

“Serving as state president in 2012 and 2013 really molded my whole experience in getting to see what it’s like to serve the membership and have a leadership role in FFA. That’s probably one of the most exciting things I’ve gotten to do, and getting to know on a deeper level the national officers and what their year entails, it made me realize that it was something I’d like to do.”

McBride’s wish has come true. He will be spending much of the rest of this month training with the other national officers before going out into the world with its message after the first of the year, to represent the National FFA.