Hello FFA members and supporters! As a team we are incredibly excited to serve you as state officers. We are honored to be blessed with these positions and we will do our best to serve Alaska FFA to the highest standards. Here are some excerpts of each officer, a picture of them, what their SAE is, what they are especially looking forward to this coming year, and a bit about them.
Brandon Traini, President:
Hello everyone! I am currently the President of the Alaska FFA Association. A brief introduction about my self; I currently reside in my home town of Wasilla, Alaska. Some of my hobbies and passions include fishing, hunting, public speaking, and of course FFA! My current SAE involves me working part time as a cook, preparing and serving food. As the State President, I look forward to serving along with my fellow FFA officers to ensure a brighter future for Alaska FFA through hard work and dedication. My overall goal is to have a stronger Alaskan FFA through increased numbers, greater involvement, as well as a larger impact on our local communities.
Gillian Brinker, Vice President:
Hi! My name is Gillian Brinker, and I am proudly serving as your 2019-2020 Alaska FFA State Vice President. Being from (and currently residing in) Anchorage, Alaska, it can be challenging to find traditional agricultural opportunities to take advantage of. However, through a lot of hard work and networking, I am fortunate enough to be able to pursue my passion of working with horses. In fact, after being on a performance drill team, a performance equestrian vaulting team, and facilitating a summer a summer farm camp here in town, I have gained enough experience with horses to be able to teach beginner riding lessons as my SAE! Aside from being a total equine nerd, I also enjoy traveling, writing, music, and public speaking.
As State Vice President elect, my goals include raising membership throughout the state as well as bringing more agricultural education to communities that are lacking access to such opportunities.
I look forward to meeting as many members as possible and am excited to see where this year takes us!
Matthea Boatright, Secretary:
Hey everyone! My name is Matthea Boatright and I am currently serving as the 2019 - 2020 Alaska FFA State Secretary. I am from the Kenai Peninsula and proudly claim the Midnight Sun FFA Chapter as my home chapter.
Some things I enjoy are music, art, the outdoors, reading, chocolate, and hanging out with my yaks!
I keep busy with my Specialty Animal SAE: raising yaks. The summer of 2019 I will be busy training my yaks for riding and packing. My goal is to eventually have a large enough herd to branch out in the meat, cheese and fiber industries on a larger scale.
During my year as a state officer, my goal is to meet as many members as possible and cultivate some lifelong friendships along the way. This year, I hope to help grow the association, let members know about the many unique opportunities available in FFA, and make a positive difference in the lives of as many as possible!
Alexa Regoord, Treasurer:
Hi everyone! I am serving as your 2019-2020 State Treasurer. I’m so excited for this opportunity to serve Alaska FFA and all of you. A bit about myself: I originally hail from Buffalo New York, but moved to Anchorage Alaska when I was 13. Since then I’ve been enjoying the amazing opportunities that are given by FFA in my home chapter of Midnight Sun. My hobbies and my SAE go hand in hand, I work at a horse barn in Anchorage, I take care of horses there and work with a few of them as well. I enjoy horseback riding, hiking, traveling, and photography. I’m ecstatic that I’ve been given the chance to get to know all of you across Alaska, and to work with my amazing team. Feel free to reach out to me at any time!
Heidi Faulkner, Reporter:
Hello Alaska FFA! I proudly come from the Silent Springs Chapter and have been a member and chapter officer for the past 5 years. I have had numerous SAE’s from swine production, elementary agricultural education, guinea pig production and care, to actively raising and training mobility service dogs.
I enjoy all things outdoors; hiking, kayaking, and biking. I also love listening to podcasts, reading a good book, cuddling with my dogs, and creating unique artwork.
Over the upcoming year, I am thrilled, honored, and exhilarated to be serving as your 2019-2020 Alaska FFA State Reporter! A few of my goals for this year include increased participation in The Alaska FFA Convention, The National FFA Convention and Expo, and Washington Leadership Conference in order to provide FFA members from Alaska the opportunity to experience a glimpse of the great potential of FFA through premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. Another goal of mine is to promote FFA and agricultural education, as well as teaching others to promote FFA themselves!
I cannot even begin to express how excited I am to get to know each of you throughout the next year. Lets make this year one to remember!
