Jim Ertl is Mister FFA
By Janet Kubat Willette
jkubat@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 04/29/2010 10:44 AM
E-mail article | Print version
ROSEVILLE, Minn. — It was 11 days before state convention and Jim Ertl was off to the last meeting of the worker bees who organize the Minnesota State FFA Convention.
Ertl, Minnesota FFA executive secretary, is involved in all facets of planning for the annual convention that draws about 3,000 FFA members from across the state to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Everything from the ground up, including sites, locations, buses, workshops, speakers and the more than 3,600 items of pins, plaques, certificates and applications that are returned to chapters must be accounted for.
On Friday, the FFA office moves from Roseville to the campus. There's a meal with the metro area alumni on Friday night and on Saturday, the officer candidate interviews begin.
Many FFA members arrive on Sunday with the bulk of career development events on Monday. On Tuesday, the leadership career development events take place and the new officer team is announced.
Ertl is involved in it all. He is described as "a human rolodex of knowledge" by the 2008-09 Minnesota State FFA Officer Team in their nomination of Ertl for the Minnesota FFA Hall of Fame.
"Without his insight on everything from how to set out plaques to who has spoken at convention before, our team would have been completely lost," the nomination reads.
Ertl has been nominated for the Minnesota FFA Hall of Fame before, but he has always declined the honor. This year, he went on vacation and he didn't have the opportunity to remove his name from the list of inductees.
"That's what happens when you don't show up to the meeting," Ertl said.
Ertl and eight others will be inducted into the Minnesota FFA Hall of Fame on April 26 during the 81st Minnesota State FFA Convention.
"It's the highest honor that I've ever received," Ertl said, because he was chosen by his colleagues and the staff that have been working with him for years.
"The Hall of Fame is an excellent opportunity to honor the men and women who, over the years, have demonstrated leadership and commitment not only to the FFA but also to Minnesota's agricultural industry," said Kirby Schmidt, Minnesota FFA president.
Ertl has earned the honor, his nominators say.
"After getting to know him through working with him for a year, we can honestly say that he is the person who, more than anyone else, makes Minnesota FFA the quality organization we are proud to know today."