Tori Kindred elected State FBLA President

By Gazette-Tribune • May 3, 2015 7:54 am
Members of the Oroville Future Business Leaders who travelled to Spokane for the State Conference prior to opening session at the INB waterfront in Spokane (front row, l-r) Yessica Nemecio and Courtnee Kallstrom, (middle) Kali Peters, Jeniffer Cisneros, Bailey Griffin, Ellamae Burnell, Lena Fuchs, Pie Todd, (back) Mikaela McCoy, Dakota Haney. Not pictured setting up for conference, Tori Kindred. Submitted photos
Members of the Oroville Future Business Leaders who travelled to Spokane for the State Conference prior to opening session at the INB waterfront in Spokane (front row, l-r) Yessica Nemecio and Courtnee Kallstrom, (middle) Kali Peters, Jeniffer Cisneros, Bailey Griffin, Ellamae Burnell, Lena Fuchs, Pie Todd, (back) Mikaela McCoy, Dakota Haney. Not pictured setting up for conference, Tori Kindred. Submitted photos
Members of the Oroville Future Business Leaders who travelled to Spokane for the State Conference prior to opening session at the INB waterfront in Spokane (front row, l-r) Yessica Nemecio and Courtnee Kallstrom, (middle) Kali Peters, Jeniffer Cisneros, Bailey Griffin, Ellamae Burnell, Lena Fuchs, Pie Todd, (back) Mikaela McCoy, Dakota Haney. Not pictured setting up for conference, Tori Kindred. Submitted photos

Oroville students travel to Future Business Leaders of America State Competition in Spokane

Newly Elected President Tori Kindred Speaks to the audience of two thousand members and advisers at the Washington State FBLA Business Leadership Conference held at the Performing Arts Center, INB in Spokane.
Newly Elected President Tori Kindred Speaks to the audience of two thousand members and advisers at the Washington State FBLA Business Leadership Conference held at the Performing Arts Center, INB in Spokane.

SPOKANE – Washington State FBLA state competition included over 2000 students this year and the competition was incredible. An exciting element again this year included the campaigning and preparation by Tori Kindred for state president as well as Ellamae Burnell for regional vice president representing the North Central Region.

Tori Kindred campaigned and was elected to serve the over 5000 members state wide as the next Washington State Future Business Leaders of America State President. Ellamae Burnell campaigned against a candidate from Bridgeport and was elected to serve, filling the role of Vice President Representing the North Central Region, a role previously held by Kindred.

All attending members worked together at the conference to assist Kindred and Burnell in their campaign for state office. After preparing for over a month, and days of caucusing, speeches and a voting process at the state competition, the race for State President was clinched by Tori Kindred. To add to the excitement, Ellamae Burnell was selected as the next State Vice President representing the North Central Region FBLA for the 2015/16 school year and will serve under Kindred on the state Executive Board.

Kindred will lead her Executive Team at Washington State conferences held in the fall and winter and work with the Washington State Board on their program of work attending multiple events throughout this next year. Kindred will also hold a seat on the Washington State FBLA Board.

Ellamae Burnell will lead the region in leadership, presiding over the region officers training, fall leadership and winter competition as well as state competition in April of 2016. Kindred and Burnell will be traveling to Nationals in Chicago, IL in June to represent the North Central Region and Washington State along with the state leadership team.

A sincere thank you goes to Tori Kindred for her hard work introducing the region officers training in Leavenworth Washington as well as her efforts to provide enhanced conferences for the entire region. Kindred, who will be handing over the gavel to Burnell as she takes over for the region, will take up a bigger gavel leading Washington State at the State Business Meeting in Chicago.

Oroville Future Business Leaders of America students traveled to Spokane to compete in FBLA competitive events on April 15-17. The conference was held at The INB, Double Tree and Red Lion Inn at the Park. Members who competed at state include, Tori Kindred, Ellamae Burnell, Courtnee Kallstrom, Kali Peters, Bailey Griffin, Dakota Haney, Lena Fuchs, Pie Todd, Mikaela McCoy, Yessica Nemecio and Junior High President Jennifer Cisneros.

The trip to state this year was an amazing experience.

“Watching these students excel at both the region and state level as well as be elected to State Office has proven a great experience and I am very proud of these students,” said FBLA Advisor, Tony Kindred. “This group of students represented Oroville with professionalism, timeliness, courtesy, respect, competitiveness excitement and good old fashioned fun. “What an amazing group of students.”

Along with Motivational speaker presentations, multiple workshops and sessions as well as competition and campaigning the students had the privilege to attend a college and career fair, a live concert with Cami Bradley a competitor from America’s Got Talent.

Included in the conference this year, student were excited to hear from Howard Behar former President of Starbucks, Robbie Bach creator of XBOX, Shasheen Shah International Business Coach and several other high profile speakers.

Students placing at state included Public Service Announcement Team, Tori Kindred, Mikaela McCoy and Ellamae Burnell. These students created a public service announcement video “Green Teens,” and were responsible to present as a team together before a panel of judges. The team placed sixth. Tori Kindred also placed sixth in Future Business Leaders of America Principles and Procedures and will compete at Nationals in Chicago. Also placing sixth was Yessica Nemecio who presented the FBLA creed competition.

Oroville FBLA and Tori Kindred would like to sincerely thank the following sponsors of her Presidential Campaign: John and Becky Desjardins of Hometown Pizza and Bakery, John and Linda Zosel, Howard Zosel of Z’s Engineering and Jack and Mary Hughes of Hughes Department Store/Ace hardware. Oroville FBLA and Burnell would like to thank her sponsors: Oroville Reman & Reload, Kathy Noel, Devyn Grillo, Designs by Devyn and Great Northern Garlic.