Rhode of East Buchanan FFA Chapter named State FFA Secretary

CONTACT INFORMATION

COLUMBIA Mo., April 19, 2024 – During the 96th Missouri FFA Convention, Gavin Rhode was named a 2024-2025 State FFA Secretary. Rhode is a member of the East Buchanan FFA Chapter. His parents are Susan Rhode and Jeff Rhode. His advisors are Ronetta Walkup and Dalton Wright.

Rhode’s supervised agricultural experience program includes a purebred beef cattle herd, a commercial beef cattle herd, market barrows, and the sale of freezer meat to local customers. Rhode breeds Angus and Herefords and shows them on the national, state, and local levels. 

During his FFA career, Rhode has served as President, Treasurer, and Sentinel of the East Buchanan FFA Chapter and is the President of the Area 1 FFA Association. 

Rhode has participated in FFA public speaking LDEs winning many awards including state runner-up in Advanced Public Speaking in 2023. He has participated on the livestock judging CDE team, ranking high individual at the North Central Missouri College Contest, and received other awards at the Northwest District FFA, and State contests.

He attended the Missouri FFA HYMAX Academy, and the Agribusiness Academy in 2022 as a participant and in 2023 as an ambassador. He also attended the Missouri FFA Public Speaking Institute. In 2023 he was chosen as one of 75 students from across the country to attend the national FFA Next Generation Animal Systems Conference. Rhode’s beginning record book earned a gold award at the state level. In addition, he won the Star Greenhand, Star Chapter Famer, and other numerous awards on the chapter level.

In addition to FFA, Rhode is president of Future Business Leaders of America and a member of Student Council, National Honor Society, The A+ program, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. His sports include basketball, golf, and football where he and his team won numerous awards.

Rhode is a member of the Number 5 4-H club, where he served as a president and as a club representative on the Buchanan County 4-H Council. He served as Missouri Junior Hereford Association President and Missouri Junior Angus Association director. He is also a member of the Missouri Junior Cattlemen’s Association.

After graduating high school, Rhode plans to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia and major in agribusiness management. Upon receiving his bachelor’s degree he plans to attend law school and pursue a career in estate and succession planning, where he can help families pass their farming operations on to future generations. He also plans to stay involved in the purebred livestock industry, raising heifers and steers for youth projects and selling bulls to commercial customers

The Missouri FFA has 26,830 members representing 362 chapters. The national organization has more than 945,000 members representing 9,163 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

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