URBANA, Ill. — FFA has a new national president, and he’s from Illinois. Elected to the top national leadership position during the FFA National Convention in October was Thaddeus (Thad) Bergschneider, who is currently 2023-2024 Illinois FFA State President. Bergschneider, of the Franklin FFA Chapter, is an undergraduate student in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois. 

In a break between classes, Bergschneider spoke to Farm World about his recent election as 2024-2024 National FFA President and his plans for the next year.

“I come from a farming family and grow soybeans, corn and cattle with my dad, Paul, and my grandpa, Joe. I have six siblings so we have a big old farm crew. In high school I enjoyed playing basketball and football, but I also enjoyed being on the poetry team, chess team, scholastical team and, of course, FFA,” said Bergschneider, who will take a year off from his pursuit of a degree in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics to focus on his role as national FFA leader. 

Bergschneider, a Morgan County native, became the first Illinoisan elected National FFA President in three decades. He excelled in extemporaneous public speaking while in Franklin High School FFA, calling it his “go-to” competition. However, Bergschneider’s reaction upon being elected as the new FFA president belied his past experience in public speaking.  

“For me it was pure shock; I was speechless. I saw some photos later on, and my mouth was open wide enough to catch horseflies,” he recalled. “You hear all the names called, and they get down to the president (position) and there are 16 other people waiting to hear their names…mentally I was halfway to the parking lot thinking I’d had a good run, but then they had called everyone but my name.” 

Bergschneider credits his FFA peers, mentors and advisors for his success within the FFA organization and in life. Miriam Hoffman and Gracie Murphy, two past FFA National Presidents, were instrumental in helping the Morgan County farm boy to prepare for his state and national presidential runs. The three would meet for weekly Sunday Zoom calls and exchange texts in order to tutor Bergschneider through practice rounds and interview scenarios. 

“Both of them have been there for my entire FFA journey, not just this year. They’ve been my most significant mentors, for sure,” said Bergschneider. “My advisors, Brett Nelson and Kaitlyn Kane, were also very influential.”

With national FFA enrollment at over one million students for the first time in its 97-year history, Bergschneider is aware of the magnitude of the responsibilities and challenges that await him during his year as president. “We are expanding with levels of growth we’ve never seen before, and my goal is to keep delivering this program with the life changing experiences FFA provides, while making sure we continue to expand programming and the quality of programming doesn’t waver or change. I’m also looking forward to leading as a connector, as a bridge between stakeholders and our members,” he said. 

Bergschneider will resume his studies in finance and agribusiness at the University of Illinois in spring of 2026, where College of ACES Dean German Bollero commended his freshman student on his election as National FFA President.

“Thaddeus embodies the core values of our college and the spirit of agricultural leadership. His dedication to serving others and his drive to elevate the future of agriculture make him an outstanding choice for this role. We are tremendously proud of him and look forward to empowering him to do this important work,” Bolero said in an ACES news release. 

Bergschneider advises younger FFA members to challenge themselves and get out of their comfort zones if they are hesitant to get involved in committees or leadership roles. “Looking back on my FFA journey in getting involved, I wish I would have done more,” he said. “Go try everything, you never know what’s going to click or spark your passion-- just go try it.”