State Convention

2020 Ohio FFA Celebration Schedule

Ohio FFA is excited to recognize members and commemorate another year of student success via social media channels during the 2020 Ohio FFA Celebration, May 4-8!

On May 4 and 5, National FFA Officers, Kolesen McCoy and Tess Seibel will hold virtual workshops for members. Seibel and McCoy will also present keynote messages later in the week.

Daily video announcements will highlight member accomplishments including: Star State FFA Degrees, Proficiency Awards, Chapter Awards and Agriscience Fair winners.

On May 8, Holly McClay, 2019-2020 Ohio FFA President, will give her retiring address. Following her keynote, recipients of the State FFA Degree, the highest honor a state can bestow upon its members, will be recognized at noon. Finally, the 2020-2021 Ohio FFA Officer Team will be announced at 4:00 pm with the team ballot being announced at noon on May 7.

Awards and recognition posts beyond those listed will also be shared throughout the week. Check Ohio FFA social media channels, especially Facebook, for more information leading up to the celebration. Members and their friends and family can invite others to stay up-to-date by responding to the Facebook event: 2020 Ohio FFA Celebration. Follow @OhioFFA on social media and watch for more details about the online event in the coming weeks. Recognition results shared originally via social media during the 2020 Ohio FFA Celebration will be posted to ohioffa.org at a later date.

Ohio FFA State Convention Cancellation

On March 9, 2020 Governor DeWine issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in Ohio due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak; and on March 30, 2020 ordered Ohio's school-building closure until May 1st. The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate in the U.S. and Ohio, raising numerous issues and questions. The Governor has made it clear to limit large gatherings regardless of their sponsorship or purpose.

The Ohio Department of Education and Ohio FFA remains committed to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of its members. Therefore, it has been determined that the 2020 Ohio FFA State Convention is cancelled. In addition, all in-person events and competitions scheduled through May 1st have been postponed until further notice. The decision to cancel and postpone events was not made lightly. The Office of Career-Technical Education and Ohio FFA continues to collaborate with stakeholders to discuss possible competitive alternatives, financial resolutions, and next steps. Staff will continue to evaluate contingency plans for all state competitions.

We recognize this is not an ideal situation, but the safety and well-being of members, volunteers, and staff is our top priority. We also echo the advice of Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health in asking all Ohioans to engage in and promote the practice of everyday preventive actions.

At this time, we ask for your patience while we develop the details of possible contingency plans and competitive alternatives. As more information becomes available, we will provide updates through the Ohio Ag Ed Newsletter and Ohio FFA Social Media outlets.

Thank you for your continued efforts on behalf of Ohio students.

Matt Winkle

Ohio FFA Advisor