Greenhand to State Officer: The Leadership Development Ladder in FFA
Leadership in Action: Officer Roles, Community, and Service
FFA leadership is often described as a ladder: learn the basics as a Greenhand, take on chapter roles, serve a section or district and perhaps run for state or national office. Published stories show real members climbing it, though not always in a straight line. This article walks through the rungs using FFA’s own descriptions and two officers’ accounts, and gives a planning worksheet for members who want to decide how far to climb.
- Key takeaway: each rung has a different focus: knowledge, participation, service to others and then representing a larger group.
- Caution: no one needs to reach the top, and several alumni describe detours.
The Rungs
Greenhand: learning the basics
FFA’s 2023 feature on getting plugged in says members who earn the Greenhand FFA Degree have learned the organization’s history and traditions, including the Creed, mission, vision and motto, and parts of the emblem, and are planning a first supervised agricultural experience. Missouri state officers host a Greenhand Motivational Conference series, and their tips include finding an aspect of agriculture you can love and staying open to new experiences (source).
Chapter roles
FFA’s 2019 guide to becoming an officer describes candidates who must tell judges what makes them memorable and who are willing to guide peers (source).
Section and state roles
FFA’s coverage of a California section describes a six-member section officer team representing nine chapters and connected by a desire to serve (source).
Two Climbs
Breanna Holbert, the 2017–18 National FFA President, served as a chapter officer, section officer and chapter president before reaching the national office, according to FFA’s history profile (source). Trey Myers, the 2025–26 president, served his chapter as sentinel, reporter and president and then as a state officer. He thought he was finished with FFA until two past national officers encouraged him to run, and his profile describes him preparing for national office while working with a university football program and keeping up schoolwork (source).
Planning Your Own Ladder
| Stage | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| Greenhand | What part of agriculture interests me? |
| Chapter | Which role fits my strengths? |
| Section or district | Am I ready to serve beyond my school? |
| State | Why do I want to represent others? |
The questions are this site’s suggestions. Myers’s account shows that a person can step off the ladder and return, so it is fine if your answer changes.
Questions Readers Ask
Do I have to climb in order?
FFA’s degree system has requirements, but leadership roles vary by state and chapter. Ask your advisor which roles are available.
Is state office the goal?
Not necessarily. Many members find meaningful leadership at the chapter level, and the profiles above show that the same skills carry into other careers.
Honest Limits
The ladder is a simplified picture. Roles and requirements differ by state, and the sources describe only a few members. Winning an office also depends on elections, which no guide can control.
On this site, Gary Swan was New York State FFA President before his national term, Hillary Smith was president when the new National FFA Center was dedicated in 1998 and Travis Park later became National FFA Advisor. Their bios record these facts without claiming that any one role led to the next.
Sources
- National FFA Organization: Getting Plugged in as a Greenhand (2023)
- National FFA Organization: How to Become a Chapter Officer (2019)
- National FFA Organization: Different Chapters, One Team (2026)
- National FFA Organization: Meet 5 Women Who Helped Shape the Future of FFA
- National FFA Organization: Oklahoma Roots, National Reach (2025)