Missouri Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) welcomed 5,000+ attendees from nearly 400 chapters to the record breaking State Leadership Conference April 14-16, 2024 to celebrate our 65th year as an organization. Members and advisers gathered in person to expand their leadership knowledge, compete in various events, and connect with others from across the state. FBLA members competed in over seventy-six competitive events ranging from Accounting and Business Ethics to Social Media Strategies and UX Design. The Top 10 individuals/teams in each event were awarded medals onstage at Great Southern Bank Arena. The Top 4 in each competitive event received trophies and will advance to the National Leadership Conference this summer in Orlando, Florida.
Sherwood Cass R-8 FBLA chapter excelled at the State Leadership Conference by participating in various competitive events and state projects and earning Gold Level status in the Chapter of the Year Project, recognition for participating in the following projects: March of Dimes, Show Me Hunger, Governmental Awareness, Conference Assistance, Missouri FBLA Scholarship, Connecting Chapters, Gold Seal Chapter, and Champion Chapter. Jason Schumacher was recognized for Outstanding Service to Local Chapter. Brett Gurney completed Contributor, Leader, and Advocate level of the Business Achievement Awards and campaigned for State Secretary. Adviser, Melissa Everhart was recognized for her service to the Missouri FBLA Foundation Board. Members attending included AB Chaikin, Eli Chaikin, Brett Gurney, Brady Mullen, Becca Murphy, Jacob Rempfer, Josie Rempfer, Jason Schumacher, and Paisley Walton. Members competed in the following events: Banking and Financial Systems, Business Calculations, Intro to Business Procedures, Intro to Public Speaking, and Supply Chain Management.
Throughout their time at the conference, members engaged in over 45 various specialized leadership academies led by professional trainers in various topics such as exploring all types of leadership styles, learning various communication techniques, strategizing time and stress management, and much more. The Leadership Expo held over 30 exhibitors including universities and military partners for members to connect, leadership activities for members to engage with, and tours of the College of Business at Missouri State University.
Amy Gallimore who is the Creative Director and CEO at Four 16 Training Solutions, LLC was our keynote speaker. Four16 Training Solutions is a company that specializes in inspiring keynote messages, interactive leadership workshops, and provides creative curriculum to clients all over the United States. Amy empowered all attendees to change their approach from looking at leadership as a “job” to an “attitude.” This year we also saw the return of Ernie Biggs Dueling Pianos for a captivating performance during our Leader Celebration.
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About Missouri FBLA
Missouri Future Business Leaders of America is a non-profit 501(c)(3) student business organization with over 12,000 members making it the second largest membership in the nation. Its mission is to inspire and prepare students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences. The state association is headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri. For more information visit www.missourifbla.org.
FBLA Values: Service, Education, and Progress
