Business Professionals of America Announces 2020-2021 Board of Trustees and Officers

 
Business Professionals of America, Inc. (BPA) is pleased to announce the election of five new members to its Board of Trustees, three of which will serve three-year terms, and two will serve a one-year term each. Joining the Board of Trustees for a three-year term of service are Jason Hendrickson, State Advisor Representative, Dianne Carroll, At Large, and Trent Hughes, Middle Level Representative. Ryan Nkongnyu, Secondary National President, and Sophia Pearson, Post-secondary National President, will both serve one-year terms during their service on the BPA National Officer Team.

In addition to the election of new trustees, the new Board of Trustees Officers were also appointed. Leading the organization’s Board as Chair will be Debbie Darnell, former Indiana BPA State Advisor who has been involved with the organization for 35 years.

“The 2020-21 year will bring new challenges and new opportunities for our membership, local chapters, state associations, and business partners. What the ‘new normal’ will be or become is yet to be determined,” said Mrs. Debbie Darnell. “As a team, we will figure this out and will become a better and stronger organization for it. Rest assured, your Board of Trustees and officers, working alongside the national staff, are resolved to continue and refresh the absolute best BPA experiences for students and teachers in this new normal as it unfolds.”

Amy Riddle, Business/IT Pathway Teacher at Matanuska-Susitna Career and Technical High School and Alaska BPA State Advisor, will serve as Vice Chair of the Board; Shauna Williams, State Advisor and Program Quality Manager of Business & Marketing Education for Idaho Career & Technical Education, will serve as Secretary; and Evan Wolff, Business Representative and BPA National Business Advisory Council member from the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, will serve as Treasurer.

"We are pleased to welcome Jason, Dianne, Trent, Ryan and Sophia to the National Board ofTrustees as all of them bring remarkable skills and unique perspectives that are going to lead BPA and the students we serve to new heights, " said Dr. LouAnn Ross, BPA Executive Director/CEO. “Additionally, I am thrilled to recognize the newly elected officers for the coming year led by Mrs. Debbie Darnell. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Cedric Bandoh for his leadership over the past two years serving as Chair. We look forward to his mentorship and support as he continues service on the Board for the next two years.”

In addition to recognizing the newest members of the Board of Trustees, BPA would also like to express its appreciation for the dedicated service of the four outgoing members who have completed their terms: Emily White, Cassandra Lindo, Dr. Nate Cradit and Amy Hollingsworth.

“We all have a shared responsibility to contribute to our organization's overall vitality and direction,” said Mrs. Darnell. “Together, Giving Purpose to Potential, we will make the coming year one full of fantastic experiences and memorable learning for our stakeholders. I look forward to you joining us and coming alongside for this journey.”

Unlock the Potential in Every Student with the Facebook Educators Portal

As the demand for digital marketing skills continues to grow, Facebook Blueprint is committed to empowering students to unlock their career goals through free digital marketing resources.
 
Today we are launching the Facebook Educators Portal to help educators integrate Facebook digital marketing skills into existing curricula. Our Educators Portal was designed by educators, for educators, to teach digital marketing to students at all levels of higher education. This free resource helps educators instill marketing best practices across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. Additionally, the digital marketing skills content in the Portal helps educators prepare their students to earn a Facebook Certified Digital Marketing Associate Certification.
 
The content takes learners through the basics of starting, executing and measuring a digital campaign on Facebook and Instagram. Applied content allows students to run their own campaigns, while case study exercises give them an opportunity to analyze how clients have designed and pivoted their campaign strategies. With a new privacy & safety module, students are also challenged to consider online safety and privacy, and how data is shared.
 
“I was able to easily integrate many of Facebook’s online resources into my lessons.
Ultimately, student teams partnered with a local business or non-profit to run Facebook
campaigns on their behalf. The project and Facebook Blueprint resources were a huge
hit.” - Keith E. Niedermeier, Ph.D. The Wharton School
 
The free materials educators can access in the Portal include:

• 28 lessons and 12 quizzes, with corresponding online learning to reinforce engagement and mastery outside of lessons
• Presentation materials and student activities
• A content module on distance learning
• Facilitator notes and suggested teaching time
• Case studies

As part of this launch, we’ve added new course modules, learning materials, and improved navigation. You can learn more about our new Educators Portal resources and the higher education program in this Informational Video.
 
“Many of my students have gotten their internships and several have been recruited just from sharing that they have taken part in Facebook Blueprint in their class. These outcomes are what makes the experience using the Educators Portal so impactful.” - Karen Freberg, Ph.D. University of Louisville
 
We hope you will find these resources helpful in teaching digital marketing skills to your students.
 
Regards,
The Facebook Blueprint Team

2020-2021 National Officer Team Announced

Business Professionals of America (BPA) is pleased to announce the slate of officers who will serve for a one-year term on the Executive Council for the 2020-2021 membership year. The new National Officer team for both Secondary and Post-secondary Divisions are:

Secondary Division
President – Ryan Nkongnyu (Delaware)
Vice President – Ashley Lin (National Virtual Chapter)
Secretary – Elijah Sorensen (Idaho)
Treasurer – Rhyan Goodman (Ohio)
Historian – Jayla Neal (Ohio)
Parliamentarian – Robert Skrzypek (Florida)

Post-secondary Division
President – Sophia Pearson (National Virtual Chapter)
Vice President – John Lucas Guimaraes (Massachusetts)
Secretary-Treasurer – Kyle Bennett (Florida)

Each year, the National Association of Business Professionals of America elects up to ten student members to represent the organization as a National Officer on the Executive Council from the Secondary and Post-secondary Divisions.

The primary responsibility of a National Officer is to serve and advocate on behalf of the organization in local, state and national efforts while representing the student interest. Additionally, presidents from each division will have a one-year term of service on the National BPA Board ofTrustees.

The National Officers are elected by voting delegates from the organization’s membership and slated by a nominating committee.

“I am inspired and look forward to working with such an incredible group of student leaders,” said Director of Leadership Development, Brigette Bethea. “The vision and drive that each of these young leaders possess will serve them and the members of Business Professionals of America well as we transition into the new membership year.”

National BPA Executive Director Dr. LouAnn Ross agreed saying, “The impact that each of these young leaders has the potential to make on behalf of the students of our organization is inspiring. From student officer leadership to board service, I look forward to seeing their progress throughout the membership year.”

Over the summer, the National Officer Team will participate in leadership development training where they will set out their Program of Work for the upcoming membership year. Then, throughout the year, they will work to lead, support and engage with BPA students and stakeholders through service learning, advocacy, educational enrichment and networking.