The state officer team meeting with Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks.
Have you considered running to be a state FFA officer but wondered, “What types of experiences would I even have?”
Cooper VanderHeiden, Iowa’s southeast state vice president, can help with that answer.
VanderHeiden is an 18-year-old freshman studying agriculture studies at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. His term as a state officer will conclude in April 2026.
Some of the state officers at an Iowa State Cyclones football game.
Whether you’re an FFA member thinking about running for office or simply curious about what it’s like, here are the five most powerful state officer experiences and advice shared by VanderHeiden.
- State Officer Summit (Favorite). “Attending the State Officer Summit, where all of the state officers get to go to Washington, D.C. for three days during summer break to interact with each other in workshops put on by the national officers. Along with that, we got to meet with multiple different elected officials, including Joni Ernst, Marinette Miller-Meeks, Randy Feenstra and Chuck Grassley. The State Officer Summit will be a lifelong memory, and the connections made with other officers were invaluable.”
- National Convention. “I will spend a week at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in October. I was representing my state and got to meet hundreds of new people every day. The overall objective with the national convention is to inspire the youth and represent the Iowa FFA.”
- Agriculture in Spain. “I was selected to attend the International Leadership Seminar for State Officers. We will spend two weeks learning about agriculture in Spain! I was one of 74 other state officers picked for this honor and wouldn’t have had this chance unless I were a state officer in Iowa.”
- Interview Process. “Not many would think this, but I enjoyed the two-day, seven-round interview process to become a state officer. This process builds not only interview skills, but also someone’s character. The interview process has this effect because of the amount of preparation that goes into it and the amount of stress you endure in those two days. After that process, I just felt like I could ‘knock it out of the park’ in any interview, just because of the difficulty of the ones it takes to be a state officer.”
- Don’t Fear Denial, Experience No Regrets. “So if anyone is interested or questioning themselves about whether they should run — do it. Even if you don’t get elected, the process prepares you very well for any interview in the future.
Elli Blackford, the previous Iowa State Fair Queen, gathers with the Iowa state officers.
Every year, FFA state officers from across the country are responsible for leading, inspiring and serving thousands of members. Behind the blue corduroy jackets are stories of growth, challenge and unforgettable moments that shape who these young leaders become.
