Trey Myers of the Perkins- Tryon FFA chapter in central Oklahoma heard his name called Saturday afternoon on the floor of Lucas Oil Stadium to serve for the coming twelve months as the President of the FFA. Myers is the tenth National President of the FFA that hails from Oklahoma in the almost 100 years of the National organization- the most recent one before Myers being Riley Pagett of Woodward in 2010-11.
Myers now steps into the role of representing nearly one million American youth members, a transition he describes as humbling and intensely focused on the organization’s foundational value of service.
Shortly after Myers was elected by the delegates at the 98th Convention of the National FFA, Oklahoma Farm Report’s Ron Hays talked with him about his selection and what lies ahead for the Oklahoma State University student, who will now take a one year pause in his education to travel over 100,000 miles to be one of the six national officers of the organization known for it’s Blue and Gold corduroy jacket.
He tells Hays “Trying to get my heart rate back down is the number one goal at the moment, trying to take everything in,” Myers stated, emphasizing that his initial focus was not on the title, but on the support system that helped him reach the national stage. “The coolest thing was, and it’s still on my mind, is looking out and seeing my family, seeing the people behind the scenes that made it all possible.”
He underscored that the success of the FFA—an organization dedicated to developing future agricultural professionals and leaders—rests on the willingness of its members and advisors to prioritize others. “That’s the beauty of our organization is there’s incredible people willing to put other people’s needs above their own.”
The Focus Shift: Service Over Ambition
Myers described the national officer selection process as a lengthy and demanding “emotional roller coaster.” He acknowledged grappling with self-doubt during the seven-round evaluation process, questioning his qualifications.
A pivotal moment occurred during a facilitation round centered on conflict and communication, where an interaction with a participating FFA member provided critical clarity.
“Over the course of the last two months, there was a lot of self-reflection of who is Trey, why is Trey running for national office,” he explained. “When our focus turns inwards, oftentimes our life can become pretty challenging. But when our focus is on other people, then life becomes pretty easy, in my opinion.”
This realization allowed him to approach the final announcement with equanimity. He noted that even while waiting for his name to be called, he was primarily focused on the excitement of his newly elected teammates, T. Wayne Williams and Jael Cruikshank.
“It was just looking up there and seeing them up there on that stage. It just kind of helped me clear my mind of whatever name gets called. I’m just so happy for the people on that stage,” he said, adding humbly, “I’m fortunate enough to have my name called.”
The other officers of the organization that make up the team that Myers will lead include:
Lilly Nyland of Michigan, national secretary. She is a former member of the Careerline Tech Center FFA Chapter.
Joey Nowotny of Delaware, eastern region vice president. He is a former member of the Laurel FFA Chapter.
Jael Cruikshank of Oregon, western region vice president. She is a former member of the Bend FFA Chapter.
T. Wayne Williams of Tennessee, southern region vice president. He is a former member of the Woodbury FFA Chapter.
Claire Woeppel of Nebraska, central region vice president. She is a former member of the Chambers FFA Chapter.
Carrying the Message of Why FFA Matters
Myers and the officer team will interact with business and industry leaders, thousands of FFA members and teachers, corporate partners, government and education officials, state FFA leaders, the general public, and more. The team will lead personal growth and leadership training conferences for FFA members nationwide and help establish policies to guide the future of FFA and the next generation of leaders.
Myers emphasized that his core message regarding the value proposition of the FFA will be consistent: leadership defined by humility and service. “The value, in my opinion, is how do we position ourselves to put the lives and the needs of other people above our own? How do we humble ourselves and place the needs of other people above our own?”
For the business community and political sphere, Myers aims to highlight that the FFA is not merely an extracurricular activity but a critical pipeline for ethical, service-minded professionals.
“We’re rooted in service, and that’s what I want to get across this year as a national officer,” he concluded.
Looking ahead to the next 12 months, Myers said the most exciting aspect is the opportunity for connection. “Goodness, just the people. The reason I love this organization and the reason I’m here today is because the people in our jacket are incredibly special. I’m really, really excited and looking forward to just having those thousands and thousands of meaningful interactions with people all across the country, being able to believe in what we all believe in, which is the power of the blue jacket.”
A few days before the national convention, Hays had a longer conversation with Trey Myers in Stillwater- click on the link below to hear that visit that preceded the selection process in Indianapolis:
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