Impact
FFA's Future
As females joined FFA, they brought new perspectives to the organization. Peg Armstrong and Julie Smiley became pioneers for change in the formerly all-male organization as the first female FFA state president and national officer in 1976, followed by Janice Eberly as national president in 1982. Additionally, Breanna Holbert further expanded frontiers for females of color as the first black female national president in 2017.
Peg Armstrong (back row, left), state president-1976; national officer-1977 (photo courtesy of Peg Armstrong)
"Julie Smiley from Washington became the first woman to serve at the national level as the western region vice president" (National FFA Organization, 1976)
“Jan Eberly from California becomes the first female national FFA president” (National FFA Organization, 1982)
“FFA kept me anchored… I worked just as hard as the next person, and I felt like I belonged. It set my heart in motion to pursue leadership.”
-Breanna Holbert (National FFA Organization, 2019)
“Breanna Holbert from California is the first African-American female to be elected national FFA president.” (National FFA Organization, 2017)
The impact of FFA on female's career trajectories has been significant. According to 1970-1980 census data, the number of female farmers and managers increased from 71,000 to over 127,000 and the number of females in agriculture-related careers has continued to explode since. Today, approximately 50% of FFA members are female and more than half of all agriculture education instructors are female as well. Thus, the impact of female inclusion to FFA membership has transcended the frontier of gender equality within the organization, to include greater impacts in the workplace and society as whole.
Kerryann Kocher, Ag CEO (Interview, 12 September 2022)
“The anniversary of female membership has brought some really wonderful stories to light. While women haven’t always worn the blue jacket, they have been a part of shaping our organization since the very beginning. Women are doing amazing things in science, in corporate agriculture and on their farms. These past few years have brought a level of openness and conversation that we haven’t had until recently.”
-Molly Ball, President, National FFA Foundation (Ag Daily, 21 March 2022)