While agriculture always played a part in Arthur Daniel “Dan” Nafziger’s life, his love for FFA developed when he volunteered to judge Career and Leadership Development Events (CDEs and LDEs) at the National FFA Convention & Expo.
It was here that he judged the Ag Issues LDE and he found a love for FFA and what it has to offer students. In the Ag Issues LDE, participants research the pros and cons of an agricultural issue and present their findings to a panel of judges. A team from each of the 50 states and both U.S. territories are eligible to participate in the CDE. The event helps students to develop critical thinking, problem-solving and formal communication skills.
In memory of Dan Nafziger, the family recently donated $200,000 to establish an endowment to allow students to attend the national FFA convention. Students participating in the Ag Issue CDE will be given preference as well as those students who require financial assistance to attend the national convention.
“Our father was a teacher,” says son Ryan Nafziger. “He taught us to read, he taught us to listen, and he taught us to pay attention to the world around us. ‘Smart people notice things’ was one of his favorite sayings. He especially loved to teach us about his world – the world of agriculture.”
“That love of teaching and that love of farming was something he enjoyed sharing with FFA members as well,” Nafziger says. “He would come home beaming after judging presentations during the National FFA Convention. You could tell he was so impressed with the FFA members. It was palpable how excited he was to share whatever new ideas he had learned that day. As his children, we are grateful for what he taught us and want the learning opportunities he shared with us to continue. We know the FFA does a great job at providing students the opportunity to learn about agriculture and to develop new ideas. We hope our father’s gift will assist that mission for years to come.”
"The Nafziger’s generosity will make it possible for FFA members to attend the national convention," said National FFA Foundation president Molly Ball. “FFA makes a huge impact on our students; this endowment will allow the organization to offer the opportunity to students who might otherwise not be able to attend. We are extremely appreciative of the Nafziger’s efforts in helping FFA continue the mission of premier leadership, personal growth and career success for our students."
The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 653,404 student members who belong to one of 8,568 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization is also supported by 345,812 alumni members in 2,051 alumni chapters throughout the U.S.