Imagine seventy thousand fellow FFA members cheering as your name is called from a national stage. That dream came true for Grant Norfleet during the National FFA Convention in November when he was elected to serve as the National FFA Organization’s 2023-2024 National Secretary. Grant recently shared that the POWER of relationships helped build the foundation for his successful FFA experiences.

Grant grew up on his family’s livestock and row crop farm southwest of Mexico, Mo. in #Agri-Ready Designated Audrain County. As a youth, he enjoyed showing livestock through 4-H and FFA with his younger brother. He began his FFA career as a member of the Mexico FFA Chapter. During high school, Grant served as an educator Missouri Farmers Cares’ Agriculture Education on the Move™ (AEOTM™), a program of Missouri Farmers Care. 

Grant is a third generation FFA member, but years ago as a freshman, he wasn’t sure that FFA was for him. 

“My dad said ‘I really think you should try FFA. If it isn’t your thing after the first year, you don’t have to stick with it’,” Grant recalled. 

Grant jumped into the activities of his local FFA chapter with both feet the summer before his freshman year. He credits mentorship from a fellow member, Lauren Quinlan, for hooking him on FFA for certain. 

“Lauren was a great senior member and mentor to me. We were friends from the county fair before, but during that summer she really took me under her wing and showed me what FFA could mean for me. We competed on a contest team together my freshman year,” Grant shared. “As I became a chapter officer going into my sophomore year, I knew that the impact and relationship I had with Lauren was what I wanted to give to FFA members younger than myself.”

From 2021 to 2022, he was honored to serve as a Missouri FFA Association Vice President. During the summer of 2023, Grant was the Leadership Director for Missouri FFA Camp. The senior at the University of Missouri studies Agriculture Education and Leadership, emphasizing communications, with minors in Agribusiness Management and Digital Storytelling. 

This fall, Grant was able to build relationships with thirty-four fellow FFA members from across the country as they contended for an National FFA Organization office. Grant succeeded through the intense selection process that began with a paper application, progressed through an extensive series of speeches and personal, industry, media and peer interviews, and culminated with a workshop presentation. 

“Running for a national office offers you a unique perspective on National FFA Convention,” Grant said. “Before the gavel dropped, I had already been in Indianapolis for five days. In the advanced selection round, I got to prepare a workshop and then present it to students. When I was in that room, I was reminded why I was so excited to run for office: to connect and build relationships with students, just like those in my workshop,” Grant shared. “I treated every minute like it could be my last in the blue jacket during my trip to Indianapolis and my National Officer interview process.”

As they say, the rest is history. The Missouri FFA Association and Missouri agriculture are proud to have this outstanding young man representing FFA and the state of Missouri. Grant reported for training and onboarding this month at the National FFA Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. He will kick off his work as the 2023-2024 National Secretary by facilitating chapter visits and delivering keynote speeches with FFA members across central Florida in January and spend a year interacting with members across the United States.

“I am so excited to be serving on this team,” Grant said. “I can see why we are together and how we are going to work as a team.”

Grant recently joined Missouri Farmers Care for a conversation shared on the Stand for Ag podcast. Tune in at: https://standforag.libsyn.com/stories-with-grant-norfleet-the-2023-24-national-ffa-secretary