INDIANAPOLIS – During the upcoming National FFA Organization’s annual convention, 17 people will be recognized as recipients of the group’s VIP Citation. The award honors people who contribute to the FFA mission of student success through their hard work and cooperation, the organization said.

The convention is Oct. 23-26 in Indianapolis. The recipients were announced in early September.

Steve Pruitt, administrator of maintenance services/special operation for the Indianapolis Department of Public Works, has been a member of the local organizing committee (LOC) for the convention since the city first hosted the event.

When he was notified he would receive the award, he said he called to ask if the information was correct.

“I’m more of a behind-the-scene person,” Pruitt explained. “My department is tasked with setting up a safe and secure walkway so FFA members can go from site to site. FFA Way is where we block off a section of the road so the students can go back and forth in safety. We also provide a daily weather report.

“I work out of the command center. I helped set up the Emergency Response Plan. I’m also on the government services committee, parking committee and whatever else the FFA might need.”

Pruitt has worked for the Department of Public Works for 41 years and plans to retire next year.

“The city hosts many large events every year but this one is my favorite one to work with,” he said. “The FFA is my favorite event (because) they are well organized, and easy to approach and talk to. Their attendees are well behaved, and just a pleasure to have in the city.”

In an application suggesting he receive the VIP Citation, the nominator said, “His service to the National FFA Convention & Expo is unmatched and he will be missed greatly. It would be an incredible honor to recognize his service with the VIP Citation for all the years of service and safety he has provided our attendees.”

Bruce Bye, of Beech Grove, Ind., said his first reaction about the honor was that he would need to find an assistant coordinator to help with a program scheduled for the same morning as the VIP Citation ceremony.

“On that Friday morning, I had planned to be coordinating a program I came up with called ‘Career Connect’ to have 22 Beech Grove eighth grade students pair-up with our Beech Grove advisory board members, school administrators, and guidance counselors to attend and take advantage of the resources at the Career Expo at the National FFA Convention,” he said. “Eighth grade students will be choosing a high school graduation pathway in about three months, at the beginning of their second semester eighth grade year.”

There will be an opportunity for the students to talk with several businesses and representatives of different universities at the Career Expo that will hopefully lead to them choosing a graduation pathway that is the most right for them, Bye said.

He has participated in the FFA’s Ag Issues Task Force since 1997. At the time, the major purpose of the task force was training of agricultural education teachers and the national roll-out of the Agricultural Issues Career Development Event. Roles of the committee included the development of objectives and competition guidelines, Bye said.

The Ag Issues Forum started as classroom instruction to help agricultural education students identify controversial agricultural issues, but later became a competition.

Bye participated in the development of the Ag Issues Leadership Development Event. “We had to develop how the two parts of the Ag Issues competition – the portfolio and the oral presentation – would be scored. We decided the controversial ag issue could be local, state, national or international, as long as it was important to their local community.”

Career Development Events (CDEs) and Leadership Development Events (LDEs) provide some of the most benefits to FFA members, he pointed out. They help FFA members understand what is involved with different careers. CDEs and LDEs help them be able to choose and prepare for the career that is the best fit for them, Bye added.

“The fun part about being part of the National Ag Issues Committee from near the beginning was having a blank slate and having the freedom to create something that helps FFA members develop key skills, regardless of what career they may choose. Also, through the community forums, FFA members are improving agricultural literacy on issues that impact availability of high quality food at a reasonable cost.”

Bye was raised on a farm and participated in both FFA and 4-H. He and his wife, Ilze, married in 1968. Bye has a bachelor of science degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University. He’s retired from Elanco Animal Health. Bye said FFA helped him learn to set goals, organize his time, learn about different careers and work as a team member.

Ron Tilford, of Hamilton, Ohio, said he was honored to be one of the recipients of the VIP Citation. His FFA journey began in 1980 when he became a member of the Talawanda FFA chapter his freshman year of high school.

“In 1986, I received my American FFA Degree in Kansas City, Mo., and began volunteering with the Dairy Cattle Evaluation CDE as a group leader,” Tilford noted. “Since then, my responsibilities have grown to include superintendent of the Dairy Handler Activity and CDE superintendent.

“The Dairy Cattle CDE, along with the other National FFA CDEs, goal is to stay relevant with the trends in their respective industries. Since the 1980s, the dairy industry and agriculture in general (have) seen a trend of consolidation and larger farms. The Dairy Cattle CDE has evolved from (a) dairy-cattle-judging focused CDE to a CDE today that incorporates more critical thinking, additional presentation and public speaking skills than in the past. This prepares the student judges for their future careers.”

An example of this, Tilford said, is the Team Activity, in which a team of student judges from each state participating is presented with the same real-world scenario. They serve as consultants and provide their recommendations. The Team Activity provides an opportunity for the student judges to showcase their knowledge and presentation skills, he said.

“One of the things I’ve enjoyed is working with these bright young men and women, who are the future leaders, and in some small way, my volunteering has helped pay it forward to the next generation.”

For a complete list of recipients, visit https://ffa.app.box.com/file/1614253880895?s=mildma9dccg9bocrsppuy1vjuxva6ism