By NANCY VORIS
Indiana Correspondent

TRAFALGAR, Ind. — After a tough decision last year to keep the Indiana FFA Leadership Center, the Indiana FFA Foundation board of directors voted recently to extend the management agreement with the Center for two more years.
“The board’s decision to keep the Indiana FFA Leadership Center last year was one that certainly weighed on the hearts and minds of those in and around the ag community,” said Foundation Executive Director Brian Buchanan. “We heard from FFA members, ag teachers, FFA alumni and supporters that they wanted to keep the Leadership Center.”
In August, a committee was appointed to govern the Leadership Center. Members Pat Redden, John Demerly, Father Rick Nagel and Mark Timm knew they needed to hire an executive director who would assume day-to-day management of the 168-acre facility.
The committee hired a familiar face for the job. Dawn Davis had five years of experience at the Leadership Center as client relations coordinator and marketing director. She had been at the Indiana Beef Cattle Assoc. for 18 months when she accepted the committee’s offer and returned in October.
“Having Dawn back to manage the Leadership Center was a great start for the committee in its endeavors to make the Leadership Center successful,” said Redden, who chairs the committee.
Davis was thrilled to again be working with the FFA members, summer camps and year-round activities at the center.
“It’s like coming home. I appreciate being back, and this summer reminded me why I love that center,” she said.
Davis is confident in the committee’s ability to make the Leadership Center viable for future FFA members.
“I have a great team to work with both in terms of my staff and the committee,” she said. “From John’s expertise in sales and business strategy to Rick’s knowledge and experience in managing the Leadership Center and Foundation, and from Mark’s top-notch marketing and business development skills to Pat’s business sense, we could not have assembled a better group.”
Redden said the committee is now working on a master plan for the center.
The board of directors heard from the committee at their board meeting May 28. The board reviewed the significant progress made by the committee and Davis since August and voted to continue the management agreement. Terminating the agreement could have led to closing the Leadership Center.
“We are excited to see that the transition has gone well,” said Board Chairman Mark Voors. “We want this facility to be home to Indiana FFA for years to come.”
Davis is currently busy with the Indiana FFA Convention this week, and hopes one new program will catch on and provide additional funding for the Leadership Center.
“Give Change to Give Hope” is a program that FFA chapters can use on an on-going basis. Members, advisors and supporters can simply drop their pocket change in a bucket at their schools, county fairs, state fair and wherever Indiana FFA is present.
“FFA members who may not be able to donate $500 to the endowment fund can drop in their change,” Davis said. “When the program ends, we will make a contribution to the endowment in their name.”
The Leadership Center is also selling colorful T-shirts from toddler sizes to adult at the convention and at the state fair to promote FFA. The shirts are $10.
For more information on the Indiana FFA Leadership Center, visit online at www.indianaffacenter.com