Members and advisers celebrate Missouri FBLA State Leadership Conference

Submitted by Stacie Hutsell, LHS FBLA Adviser

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) welcomed 5,200+ attendees from nearly 400 chapters to the State Leadership Conference April 13-15, 2025, to celebrate the 66th year as an organization. Members and advisers gathered in person to expand their leadership knowledge, compete in various events, and connect with other leaders, industry professionals and volunteers from across the state. FBLA members who had advanced from their District Leadership Conferences competed in over seventy-six competitive events ranging from Accounting, Business Ethics, and Cybersecurity to Public Speaking, Marketing and UX Design. Hundreds of industry professionals served as volunteer judges, providing real-world feedback and helping identify Missouri’s top competitors. The Top 10 individuals/teams in each event were awarded medals onstage at Great Southern Bank Arena. The Top 4 in each competitive event received trophies and will advance to the National Leadership Conference this summer in Anaheim, California.

Licking R-8 High School chapter excelled at the State Leadership Conference by participating in eighteen events. Ethan Domenech made it to the stage twice and earned 10th place in Business Law and 10th place in Public Policy and Advocacy. Timothy Norris also made it to the stage and earned 6th place in Supply Chain Management. Additional attendees and participants at the State Leadership Conference were Evan Crow, Branson Evans, John Gyory, J’sai Leahy, Chris Ross-Leffler and Noah Umfleet. Sixth grader Sofie Hutsell also attended to participate and research starting a Middle School chapter of FBLA at LJHS for the 2025-2026 school year. Additional State qualifiers not attending were Paxten Keeney, Alex Sprouse, Joshawa Wade and Emilie Williams.

Throughout their time at the conference, members engaged in over 45 various specialized leadership academies led by professional trainers in various topics such as exploring leadership styles, learning various communication techniques, strategizing time and stress management, and much more. The Leadership Expo held over 30 exhibitors including universities and military partners for members to connect, leadership activities for members to engage with, and tours of the College of Business at Missouri State University. Beyond competition, attendees engaged in immersive programming designed to develop their leadership, communication, and collaboration skills including Hands-on Workshops – covering topics in business, technology, and career readiness; and Networking Activities – helping students build connections with peers and professionals. Throughout their time at the conference, members engaged in the Opening Session, voting for new State Officers, the Leadership Celebration, and the Awards of Excellence Ceremony. The opening session featured keynote speaker Zack Sheets, a motivational educator and leadership expert from Baylor University, who inspired students to lead with authenticity and purpose. Mr. Sheets encouraged members to ask questions…What drives winning? Why, if you have great advice, would you not take it? What is the difference between a leader and a performer? A key takeaway…Understand the difference between being defined by results versus being defined by how you handle results.

Missouri’s top student competitors from SLC will advance to the FBLA National Leadership Conference (NLC), set to take place in Anaheim, California, June 29 to July 2, 2025, where they will compete against winners from across the nation and the world. Licking High School’s Tim Norris accepted and advanced to National competition in Supply Chain Management. Tim will be accompanied by Adviser Stacie Hutsell and Chapter Secretary Sadie Hutsell.

About Missouri FBLA

Missouri Future Business Leaders of America is a non-profit 501(c)(3) student business organization with over 12,000 members, making it the second largest membership in the nation. Its mission is to inspire and prepare students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences. The state association is headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri. For more information visit www.missourifbla.org.