EARLVILLE FFA MEMBER ELECTED NATIONAL FFA OFFICER

Hoffman focuses on embracing complexity of members across the country

BY MARTHA BLUM AgriNews Publications

EARLVILLE, Ill. — Leadership does not always look the same for Miriam Hoffman who was elected as one of six National FFA officers during the 93rd National FFA Convention and Expo. “Being a leader isn’t about being noticed, but it’s about noticing other people,” said Hoffman, who was elected the eastern region vice president for the National FFA Organization during the final session of the convention which was held virtually this year.

“This summer when I went through the Illinois selection process it was because I felt that I have a unique set of skills to bring to the FFA and it was my duty to offer up those talents I have to this organization,” the Earlville FFA member said. Hoffman’s goal during her year as a national FFA officer is to embrace complexity.

“All my life I’ve felt like I have so many pieces to me and a lot of them don’t make sense,” she said.

Music, Hoffman said, is one way to illustrate it.

“I’m all across the board from classic rock, classic country, classical to current pop music,” she said. “I felt like I needed to simplify myself and fit myself into a box depending on what group of people I was with.”

However, a conversation with John Edgar, assistant director at the Illinois FFA Center, gave Hoffman a different perspective. “I finally realized in my conversation with Mr. Edgar, the fact that I have such a diverse set of interests is how I connect with so many people,” she said. “I can find something in common with just about anybody.”

Embracing complexity, Hoffman said, is the realization that there is more to everyone than what people see on the surface.

“The quiet students in the workshop have ideas they want to share but no one has ever asked them,” she said. “Or, the funny and loud students probably have deeper thoughts and ideas, but no one has ever asked them either.”

In addition to making individuals strong, Hoffman said, embracing complexity also strengthens organizations.

“When you bring together 760,000 unique individuals, it’s going to result in a set of complex issues that every year we’re working through in the FFA,” Hoffman said.

“We need to create an environment that is open to every

Miriam Hoffman

student who wants to be part of what we’re doing and insure that every student feels like they belong and they have a place,” she said. “We’re not going to have all the answers all the time, but it’s about having the attitude to get to the answers.”

It was a much different experience running for a national officer this year with the virtual format, said Hoffman who also was a candidate at last year’s convention.

“It was pretty isolating, but what I did love about the process this year was being surrounded by my friends and family at home,” said the daughter of Winifred and the late Kenneth Hoffman.

“Something I learned in the process last year is the nominating committee truly just wants to see who you are as a candidate and they don’t want you to pretend you’re a perfect person,” she said. “They want to see who you are and how you are going to serve the FFA and that showed through even during the Zoom calls.” It was difficult not to be with the other candidates, Hoffman admitted. “Even though I didn’t build as many connections as I did last year, the connections I did have were deeper because it was a new process for all of us,” she said.

A member of the nominating committee traveled to each of the officers’ homes to deliver their FFA jackets just moments after the completion of the election, which was a surprise to the newly elected officers.

“I had no idea that person was there and that was an incredible way to end the process, so I could meet that nomination committee member in person that I’d been talking to on Zoom for the last week,” Hoffman said. “It was crazy how National FFA pulled that off, but they did.”

Hoffman was surrounded by family and friends as she was named the eastern region vice president.

“I’m so grateful, that’s the overwhelming emotion I felt even before the elections because so many people have poured into me throughout the last six years in FFA,” Hoffman said. “I have a very tall, strong wall of people behind me.”

“It’s not Miriam Hoffman that got elected, it’s all the pieces of all these different people that helped Miriam Hoffman become who she is today,” she said. “This is not just my election. This is for all the people who have invested in me.”

For her FFA projects, Hoffman has focused on dairy production in the areas of both placement and

entrepreneurship.

“I worked with my family’s cattle and I also had my own Milking Shorthorn and Dutch Belted dairy cattle,” said the FFA member who is advised by Natalie Mahler. “I’ve sold genetics across the country and spent my summers showing cattle at local county fairs.”

Currently, Hoffman is a junior at Southern Illinois University studying agribusiness economics.

“I’ve thought about my career a lot and I don’t have a definitive answer yet, but I did have an incredible experience this summer working for Continuum Ag,” she said. “That is a soil health, data, consulting and management company that focuses on regenerative agriculture.”

Hoffman is interested in this segment of agriculture.

“This is an area I’ve been passionate about growing up on my family’s operation where we’ve done things a little differently than many of the farmers around us by grazing our cattle and growing organic row crops,” Hoffman said.

“It was really cool for me to see this summer the cooperative spirit of the people I worked for and empowering farmers to make decisions that are both environmentally sustainable and economically resilient,” she said.

“I see so much innovation happening there and that excites me,” she said. “I love to work with creative people that are finding win-win solutions for farmers and consumers.”

Martha Blum can be reached at 815-223-2558, ext. 117, or marthablum@agrinews-pubs.com. Follow her on Twitter at: @AgNews_Blum.

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