NAAE prides itself on being a grassroots organization, which means it couldn't function without input and leadership from our members. There are many ways to become more involved in NAAE. Below are several opportunities with a brief overview of the commitment and types of skills involved.
View current NAAE Board of Directors and Regional Secretaries
NAAE is governed by a board of directors elected by the NAAE membership. The board of directors consists of a president, president elect, past president, six vice presidents — one for each of NAAE's six regions and the Chief Executive Officer as a non-voting ex-officio member. The six regional secretaries are important contributors to the NAAE leadership, but they are not members of the NAAE board of directors.
| Position | Term | Appointment |
|---|---|---|
| President | 1 year | Elected by state delegates at NAAE convention |
| President-elect | 1 year | Elected by state delegates at NAAE convention |
| Regional Vice-President | 3 years | Elected by state delegates during regional meetings at NAAE convention |
| Regional Secretary | 1 year | Elected by state delegates during regional meetings at NAAE convention |
For details about eligibility, time commitment and duties of president, president-elect, regional vice-president and regional secretaries, see the NAAE Leadership Handbook.
To to be eligible for a position on the NAAE Board of Directors or as a Regional Secretary, you must be an active or active life NAAE member and complete and submit a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to the CEO by September 15th prior to the NAAE Convention you plan to run for election.
NAAE Board of Directors and Regional Secretaries MOU
NAAE members can run for 3-year terms on each of NAAE's seven standing committees. Committees meet virtually, so there is the opportunity to contribute even if your ability to travel is limited. Learn more.
NAAE maintains positions on a number of agricultural education boards and committees. NAAE members are appointed to fill these positions by the NAAE board.
NAAE members who are interested in representing the association need to express their interest in serving as a NAAE representative to a member of the NAAE board or the NAAE staff.
Application procedures include sending a letter of interest and a brief resume (one or two pages) to the NAAE office. The applications are then ranked by the NAAE board and the representatives selected accordingly.
| Group | Number of NAAE Positions |
Length of Term |
|---|---|---|
| The National Council for Agricultural Education (NAAE position appointed by NAAE) Current Representative: Jeff Voris, MO (through December 2025) |
1 | 3 years |
| The National Council for Agricultural Education (ACTE postsecondary position appointed by NAAE) Current Representative: Heather Eberlin, MO (through December 2026) |
1 | 3 years |
| National FFA Alumni Council Current Representative: Shari Graffunder, WI (through December 2024) |
1 | 3 years |
| National FFA Board of Directors (Board Members) Current Representative: Deanna Schnuck, MO (through December 2024) Current Representative: Marc Beitia, ID (through December 2025) |
2 | 3 years |
| National FFA Foundation Board of Trustees Current Representative: Cameron Dale, OK (through December 2026) |
1 | 3 years |
| Ag Ed Magazine Managing/Editing Board Current Representatives: Jason Kemp, TN Alissa Smith, NAAE CEO (ex-officio, non voting) Jay Jackman, AEM Business Manager (ex-officio, voting) |
2
|
1 year |
Volunteer for the NAAE Awards Judging Committee and help select regional winners for the following NAAE awards:
Judging assignments will be made by NAAE staff. Volunteers cannot judge an award application from a member of their own NAAE region. The established regional rotation of judging NAAE awards will be used to determine which applications will be judged by the committee members.
To volunteer, you must:
To volunteer to judge NAAE awards, contact Alissa Smith, NAAE Chief Executive Officer, at (859) 967-2894 or (800) 509-0204.
