The Rock Port FBLA Chapter earned the Gold Level Chapter of the Year Award at the 2023 State Leadership Conference. Pictured, from left to right, are: front row – Rylee Jenkins, Dylan Kemerling, Payten Shrader, and Avery Meyerkorth; and back row – Dereck Dush, Micah Makings, Malachi Skillen, Carter Gebhards, Dakota Evans, and Reed Miller.

Dylan Kemerling placed second in Digital Video Production which qualifies her for national competition. She is the first FBLA member to qualify for national competition in the history of Rock Port FBLA, which was chartered in 2006. She will represent Rock Port and compete in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27-30.

Rock Port members and advisers celebrate Missouri FBLA State Leadership Conference

Missouri Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) welcomed 5,000+ attendees from nearly 400 chapters to the record breaking State Leadership Conference April 16-18, 2023. 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 76 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 four in each competitive event received trophies and will advance to the National Leadership Conference this summer in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Rock Port chapter excelled at the State Leadership Conference by participating in various chapter awards and individual competitive events. Members who competed included Dereck Dush, Rylee Jenkins, Dylan Kemerling, Jayden Krutz, Corbyn Jakub, Dakota Evans, Reed Miller, Payten Shrader, Avery Meyerkorth, Carter Gebhards, Aidan Burke, Malachi Skillen, and Micah Makings. They were accompanied by Adviser Stephanie Parsons and chaperone Principal Donnie Parsons. The chapter was recognized for various awards, most notable receiving Gold Level Chapter of the Year. Dereck Dush and Micah Makings were recognized for earning the third level of the Business Achievement Awards. And competitive event recognition went to Avery Meyerkorth and Payten Shrader receiving 10th place in Introduction to Social Media Strategies and Dylan Kemerling receiving second place in Digital Video Production. Dylan is the first FBLA member to qualify for national competition since the chapter was chartered in 2006.

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.

New this year, leaders enjoyed a concert held by Funding the Future where the band performed popular songs from artists like Taylor Swift and incorporated the fundamentals of financial education. Both keynote speakers empowered all to pursue their passions as business leaders. Caitlin Schaefer, former Missouri FBLA state officer and current Strategic Relationship Manager at Lord, Abbett, & Co., discussed the importance of investing in yourself and defining your goals for success. Morris Morrison, world-class entertainer, author, and show host, inspired all with his unforgettable story and powerful message of perseverance and determination.

Sponsor Deyton Thomson took Tarkio High School students Alyson Wooten, Tommi Martin, Claire Martin, and Alex Barnett to the State FBLA contest.

Tarkio FBLA members compete at State

Members of the Tarkio FBLA Chapter travelled to Springfield, Missouri, on Sunday, April 16, 2023, to compete at State FBLA. The members were ac-companied by Sponsor Deyton Thomson.

That evening, Claire Martin, Alex Barnett, and Tommi Martin competed in the preliminaries for Broadcast Journalism. Aly Wooten also competed in preliminaries for Future Business Leader. Claire, Alex, and Tommi moved on to finals, which was the top 15 in Missouri. The girls then competed again Monday morning for finals.

On Tuesday morning, everyone attended the awards ceremony, where the Tarkio Broadcast Journalism team placed 10th in Missouri.