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FLORIDA COMMUNICATOR
SPRING 2014
Florida Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda
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IN THIS ISSUE
MESSAGE FROM YOUR PBL STATE PRESIDENT …………………………………………………………. 1
SPRING RECRUITMENT ………………………………………………………..…………………………… 2
RUNNING FOR OFFICE ………………………………………………………..………………………….. 3
CAREER ADVICE ………………………………………………………..…………………………………. 4
STATE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ………………………………………………………..……………… 5
PIE FOR A CAUSE ………………………………………………………..………………………………… 6
MARCH OF DIMES ………………………………………………………..……………………………….. 7
MESSAGE FROM YOUR FBLA STATE PRESIDENT ……………………………………………………….. 8
FLORIDA FBLA IDOL ………………………………………………………..……………………………… 9
STATE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE | TIPS ……………………………………………………………….. 10
FUNDRAISING BASKETS AT SLC ………………………………………………………..………………… 11
SAVE THE BABIES ………………………………………………………..…………………………………. 12
PROFESSIONAL DIVISION PLAYS KEY ROLE ……………………………………………………………. 13
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS ………………………………………………………..…………………………… 14
message from your pbl state president
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Florida Phi Beta Lambda,
Shuyun Xue
As our district conferences come to a close and our State Leadership
Conference fast approaching, it is time to buckle down and get ready
for another amazing conference season. Everything about this time of
the years just reminds me of why I am so passionate about this
organization. The spring conferences are comprehensive and wonderful
and are filled with hopes and new beginnings. We get to represent our
schools in competitions, network with the best in the state, campaign to
become part of the leadership team, and reminiscent with our friends
about all the good times. The best part is when this all end, we still have
the most exciting event of them all, the National Leadership Conference,
to look forward to this summer!
Florida Phi Beta Lambda
State President
Of course, the spring semester is more than just about our State
Leadership Conference! We are very excited a myriad of other activities
we have planned. We have our Spring Activity Day at Busch Gardens in
Tampa and I’m personally very excited about chomping down on theme
park food. Earlier this month, the Florida FBLA-PBL State Officers had a
chance to travel to our state capitol for the annual State Officer
Tallahassee Trip. For those of you who are running or thinking about
running for a state office, this is definitely something you can look forward
to! Let us know what your chapter has planned for this semester and we
will be sharing our favorites with chapters across the state.
Whether you are finishing up your first year of college or wrapping up
your college career, I want to congratulate you and wish you best of
luck. I look forward to seeing you all at our State Leadership Conference
next month. In the meantime, connect with me on social media and
reach out if you need anything!
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spring recruitment
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Yasman Cortes
Florida Phi Beta Lambda
The spring semester is an exciting time for Florida PBL with the
District Conferences in full gear and the State Leadership
Conference right around the corner. It is also the time for PBL
members across the state to begin thinking about the decision to
serve their state by running for office. The decision to run for a
state officer position is not an easy one; it takes time, effort, and a
strong commitment to the goals and members of FBLA-PBL.
However, you will find that your experience running for state office
and serving the state of Florida will be a truly rewarding one.
Region I Vice President
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PBL members who are interested in running for office should take
some time to familiarize themselves with the duties of a state
officer. If you are wish to learn more about what a state officer
does, you are encouraged to reach out to your local state officer
or contact the FBLA-PBL State Adviser, Mrs. Jody Jones. If you
believe running for state office is the right decision to make, you
must first declare your intent by completing the Florida State FBLA/
PBL Officer Application included in the State Leadership
Conference Registration Packet. The application asks potential
candidates to write about why they wish to run for office, what
ideas and plans they have in mind, and what they hope to
accomplish during their term. The application is designed to
evaluate a candidate’s written communication skills.
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Within the following weeks of your application submission you can
expect to be contacted by Mrs. Jody Jones, who will inform you
of the status of your application, including any missing or
additional information needed, and the date and time of your
interview. The interview is typically conducted on the first day of
the State Leadership Conference prior to the opening session.
Members of the Board of Directors, who are there to assess the
candidates’ intent in running for office and their qualifications, will
interview candidates. Following the interview and opening
session, candidates will be allowed to address the members of
Florida PBL and officially declare themselves as a candidate
running for office.
The decision to serve Florida PBL as a State Officer is a satisfying
journey filled with many memories and accomplishments. Florida
PBL needs leaders with a great character, strong leadership skills,
and a desire to serve the members of our association.
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running for office
The best thing about a brand new semester is all the new (and
returning) students on campus. Now that we are officially in 2014,
and just weeks away from our State Leadership Conference, it is
time to step up your Spring Recruitment game.
Emre Gumuluoglu
Florida Phi Beta Lambda
Region III Vice President
Make sure you are keeping up with all the organization fairs and
welcome back events on your campus. These events often
attract hundreds of students and they are great opportunities for
you to reach potential new members.
It never hurts to reach out to the marketing department for your
school. Depending on your specific department/college, the
marketing and social media team will be more than glad to help
spread the word of your organizations. PBL could even be
featured in the next “Organization Spotlight”!
I would also recommend using Facebook pages, Twitter handles,
and other social media outlets to promote your chapter. This
could be a great way for your members to share information and
attract potential new members. In an age where most people
can’t go a day without scrolling through their newsfeed, using
social media may just be the extra help you needed.
The last bit of advice I can give you is to use personal
connections. Ask each of your current member to bring 1 friend
to your next meeting. Talk with your adviser and professors about
sending out promotional material. Meet with Student
Government to work out a strategic recruitment plan.
Just remember that when it comes to recruitment, slow and
steady is just as great as fast and furious. Think about what works
for your specific campus and go from there. Best of luck with your
spring recruitment.
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career advice
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Mickie Abel
Florida Phi Beta Lambda
Secretary
One of the best Career Advice Tips to know is “Networking”. Who
you know is just as important as what you know.
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Many opportunities are not advertised in the “Help Wanted Pages”
or on the internet. Generally, these positions are filled by people
who either have an outstanding reputation or are personally
referred by friends. While education is the foundation when looking
internships or full time jobs, it is extremely important to take part in
organizations and other networks where you are exposed to
people who may be able to get your foot in the door.
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As you go through school, I recommend for you to start building a
strong network by joining organizations such as Phi Beta Lambda.
These organizations not only provide you with a ready-made net of
successful alumni base but also give you the tools you need to
succeed in the real world.
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Another great way to meet people is through participation in
community service projects. This help to establish ties within your
community and connect you with people who are passionate
about giving back.
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Of course, your network can be found in many locations.
Classrooms, organizations, professional conferences, friends, and
family can all provide valuable connections and mentorship.
Besides the professional opportunities that networking can lead to,
I have also found lasting friendships. Best of luck with your career
and academic endeavors. I look forward to seeing you at the
State Leadership Conference!
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state
leadership conference
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Are you ready for some competition? PBL members throughout
Florida are gearing up for the spring conference season. This year,
our State Leadership Conference will once again be held in
Orlando Florida, the world of Mickey Mouse.
Yasmin Yuen
Florida Phi Beta Lambda
Region II Vice President
With over 50 categories of competition, members are ready to
demonstrate their skills and become the best in the State of Florida.
The winners will have a chance to represent our state at the
National Leadership Conference this summer in Nashville,
Tennessee.
The State Leadership Conference will start off with an incredible
key note speaker during the Opening Ceremony. The state officer’s
team will greet you with a warm welcome to the conference.
Competitive events will follow for the next two days.
As part of our annual tradition, chapters and districts will be
donation baskets for our Basket Drawing event. Make sure to stop
by for a chance to win one of these fabulous baskets. All proceed
will go towards our Florida FBLA-PBL Foundation to support our
members like you. Also, please join us for our March of Dimes mini
walk to show support to our state philanthropy and promote
prematurity awareness.
One of my favorite things to do during the State Leadership
Conference is to go explore the city of Orlando. Orlando offers
many attractions such as Disney World, Universal, City Walk,
SeaWorld, International Drive and much more.
The State Leadership Conference is approaching! Remember to
prepare for your competition and get ready to have some fun!
Don’t over pack your luggage and buy a nice gown for the award
ceremony. Show off you hard work and take a trophy home. I am
looking forward to seeing all of you soon!
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Meylin! Perla
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Florida! Phi Beta Lambda
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Parliamentarian
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PIE
CAUSE
for a
Aside from all the competitive events and workshops taking
place at the State Leadership Conference, there will be the
traditional Pie in the Face Contest. The purpose of this contest is to
raise funds for the Florida FBLA-PBL Foundation, which assists the
organization’s members and advisors by sponsoring programs such
as cash prizes for competitive events at the SLC and the PBL Rob
Kelleher Memorial Award for the most outstanding member.
During the conference, each member of the state officer
team will carry a bucket. Every coin they collect counts as a point
and every bill they collect counts as a negative point. The officer
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who has the least amount of points (the one with the most bills) at
the end loses and will be pied in the face. Who gets to pie the
losing officer? This goes back to the Basket Drawing Contest.
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Chapters from across the state create themed baskets and turn
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them in during the conference. During the conference, members
will have a chance to buy raffle tickets for the basket they like the
best. The chapter whose basket raises the most money or has the
most raffle tickets wins and gets to pie the losing officer. Most
importantly, the winning chapter will get priority seating for next
year’s conference so make sure to have a great basket!
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Promoting the March of Dimes philanthropy can be as easy
as 1, 2, 3. Some ways of raising money and awareness for March of
Dimes include adding dynamic fundraising badges, banners and
more to your blog, website or email signature. Make use your
mobile device and social media to increase your outreach. A cool
and innovative feature March of Dimes has added now allows you
to link you March of Dimes account with your Facebook which will
make fundraising even easier with access to a variety of sharing
tools. You can send emails, update your story, post to friends’ walls,
and invite friends to walk with you and more. All you have to do is
go into you Facebook application, Log in to marchforbabies.org
and click the button on the left side of your dashboard to get the
app. Your Facebook account will then tie into your March for
Babies account. Other ways of promoting include giving
presentations at your club meetings on the March of Dimes and
explain why we care so much about this initiative. Try even asking
to speak with your principal about decorating the school in purple.
Make T-shirts that are relevant to the March of Dimes, you can also
sell awareness bands on campus which can be ordered by visiting
awarenessproductsonline.com/mod_product_info.
Since the March of Dimes is also our state philanthropy
project for this year, we will be hosting a plethora of events at our
State Leadership Conference next month. For those who missed
our Fall Leadership Conference in Sarasota, we had an exciting
and heartwarming mini-walk for the March of Dimes and we plan
to recreate an even larger walk in Orlando. Make sure to pack a
purple shirt and a couple rolls of dimes as you get ready to travel
to the State Leadership Conference. We are confident that with
your help, we can reach our goal this year. Wish you all much
success in your chapter events and hope to see you all at our SLC!
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Luckson Abraham
Florida Phi Beta Lambda
Region IV Vice President
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message
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fbla!!state president
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Florida FBLA,
I would first like to thank all of you for giving me the opportunity to serve as your 2013
State President. Secondly, I thank and congratulate all members, advisors, and officers
that have worked so diligently to prepare for tomorrow! I am beyond excited to see
Kaitlyn Bailey
Florida FBLA
President
Florida show the Nation how bright we shine at the National Leadership Conference in
Nashville, Tennessee. Another year in Florida FBLA-PBL is coming to a close, but we still
have many opportunities to get involved, and make this year one to remember. The State
Leadership Conference is just right around the corner, and I encourage each of you to
continue your hard work in preparing for your competitions. This year your State Officer
Team chose to work with the March of Dimes as the State Project. This is such a
tremendous cause, and every chapter that participates gets recognized on stage at the
State Leadership Conference. Also, there will be several ways to raise money for your very
own Florida FBLA-PBL foundation at the State Conference. For those singers out there,
FBLA Idol is calling you. Who knows, we just may find the next singing sensation right here
in our very own organization. Additionally, the Florida FBLA-PBL Foundation’s Annual
Basket Fundraiser will take place again this year. There will be many amazing items up for
grabs, so you won’t want to miss out. Remember, all proceeds for the two previously
mentioned events go directly to the FBLA-PBL Foundation.The State Leadership
Kaitlyn Bailey with Gov.
Rick Scott during State
Officer Tallahassee Trip
Conference will be held on March 21-24 at the beautiful Hilton Orlando. This conference
is one you do not want to miss. For those of you competing, I wish you the best of luck in
your quest to make it to the National Leadership Conference. However, for those
members who might be interested in running for State Office you will have numerous
opportunities to meet with the current State Officer Team and ask them questions about
their term. In closing, I would like to thank you, again, for making this a year to remember
for not only myself, but also the entire State Officer team. Your dedication to the
organization inspires us to work as hard as we can to make your experience as
memorable as possible. Without you, none of this would be possible, and for that I am
forever grateful.
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Best Wishes,
Kaitlyn Bailey
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Do you think you’ve got what it takes to be the next FBLA Idol? Or perhaps you’d like
to shadow Adam Levine or Simon Cowell. Either way, FL FBLA Idol is sure to be one of
the most entertaining moments of the State Leadership Conference. Contestants are
asked to make a small donation to participate before they go up on stage and
(hopefully) impress fellow members and a panel of judges with their vocal skills. Judges
will chose a winner and they will be crowned “Florida FBLA 2014 Idol” during the
awards assembly. Even though you may question your vocal talent, remember that
anyone can sing!
Andy Alfonso
Florida FBLA
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Region V Vice President
state
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When you have finished paying your conference dues and preparing
for your competitive event, the most exciting Florida FBLA event of the
year soon approaches—the State Leadership Conference.
Make sure to absorb as much as possible out of this extraordinary
experience, here are some tips for when you’re at the conference.
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Meng Fei Shen
Florida FBLA
Region IV Vice President
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Approach people from other schools! You see the same old
faces from your school on a daily basis, why not abandon them
for one day and meet some new faces? The steps are easy too:
smile, introduce yourself, ask them to introduce themselves, and
you just met a new friend or many new friends.
Attend the workshops! Every single workshop has been specially
and carefully designed to improve your leadership and business
skills. After all, you are at a leadership conference, so bring
home some useful, new knowledge that you will be using in
your future careers.
Visit the campaign booths for state officers! Listen to these
candidates’ new ideas and plans for the upcoming year. Then,
meet up with voting delegates from your school and voice your
opinion. After all, these candidates will be serving YOU.
Browse over the career booths opened, where you will be able
to learn about fundraising ideas, educational opportunities,
and more!
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Meet the current state officers. I, personally, would be thrilled to
meet you guys, and I’m sure that my other fellow state officers
would be excited to meet you as well. Don’t worry, I promise we
don’t bite!
Explore the wonders of Orlando, ranging from the huge
Premium Outlet to the Harry Potter Land at Universal Studios, all
the way to the magical Disney World. You might even be able
to encounter some other FBLA students along the way!
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fundraising baskets at SLC
Annika Mulaney
Florida FBLA
Region III Vice President
It is that time of year to prepare for the annual FBLA-PBL basket
silent auction! Each chapter will be able to compete by creating
their own basket. Members can buy a ticket to enter the raffle to
win a basket at the state leadership conference, and all
proceeds will go to the Florida FBLA-PBL Foundation. The chapter
that creates the winning basket will be awarded with a
prestigious Gold Seal Chapter Membership in the 2014-2015 FBLA
year.
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This is a great time to bring out your creativity skills and make a
masterpiece. Remember that you do not have to spend a lot of
money – you can ask businesses in your area for contributions or
all of the members from your chapter can pitch in with a couple
of dollars each to raise the needed amount. Simply gather a
couple of nice items, place them in a basket, and wrap it up
with cellophane and a big bow!
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A themed basket is a wonderful idea and may increase your
chance of winning. Here are some ideas I came up with to get
you started:
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Baseball basket – baseballs, peanuts, sunflower seeds,
two-four tickets to a game, baseball cap, etc.
Girls’ night in basket – candy, nail polish, sleep masks, a
movie, bathrobes, etc.
Baking basket – cake mix, recipe cards or book, wooden
spoon, sprinkles, frosting, etc.
Movie basket – movie theater gift card (or a DVD),
popcorn, candy bars, etc.
Ice cream basket – cute bowls and spoons, ice cream
scoop, syrup, sprinkles, jar of cherries, etc.
Of course, there are countless other ideas out there for themes.
You may want to think of something that will be appealing and
eye-catching to members and advisers. Best of luck as you
create your baskets; we cannot wait to see them at the
conference.
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As we should all know, this year's State (and National) Project was
the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes is a nonprofit
organization founded by Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Its original purpose of conception was to combat polio, but as
times changed and polio became less relevant, the foundation
shifted its focus to premature births and birth defects.
Marquise McGriff
Florida FBLA
Secretary
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The March of Dimes hosts many activities, mainly walks, to aid
their cause. Throughout the years, the March of Dimes has
played a great part in not only helping with babies who have
been born with defects, but with prevention as well. The March of
Dimes is a nationally recognized organization that is doing more
than campaigning for excellence, they're putting it [excellence]
into action.
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Get with your chapter officers and advisers to see how you can
help begin a baby's tomorrow today through the dynamic March
of Dimes organization.
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professional division plays
key role
As we reach the middle of the school year and FBLA and PBL
students across the country prepare for their spring competitive
events, the role of the Provisional Division is more important than ever.
Among the many benefits the Professional Division provides to FBLAPBL, supporting and mentoring students is one of the most important
and the most rewarding. From helping students craft a strong resume
to providing key career advice, our role as Professional Division
members is what makes our organization uniquely relevant to today’s
students and tomorrow’s leaders.
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Tahsin Nabid
FL Professional Division
President
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Many of the Professional Division members are educators, alumni, or
friends of the organization, so we are familiar with how important
interaction with and support from real world professionals is to FBLAPBL students. Some of us are also business professionals, so we
understand the need for an educated and skilled workforce.
Whichever career path you may want to go, we can all agree it is
critical that our future business leaders have good role models from
which they can learn and imitate.
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As the school year progresses and as competitive events season
picks up, I hope you will consider getting your Professional Division
Members involved in your chapter. Whether it be speaking at a
chapter meeting, giving advice on competitive events and reports,
or inviting students to place of work, the interaction alone will shape
these students’ lives forever.
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If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any of your
Florida Professional Division State Officers. Contact information can
be found on our website (www.floridafbla-pbl.com). Remember the
Professional Division is here for you!
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CHA
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CLEWISTON HIGH SCHOOL
We're looking forward to a successful year at Clewiston High School. So far,
this year has consisted of fundraisers, competitions, dues, and our t-shirt
designs. For the first fundraiser we had a car wash that turned out to be a
success. Then a bake sale that helped us gain a promising profit. With the
help of our president, Susan Walker we have successfully recruited more than
ten more members than we did last year. Promising a memorable year for
FBLA in Clewiston High School and a greater opportunity in winning districts
and hopefully state.
Karen Velasquez
Clewiston FBLA
Reporter
We're all aware that district completion is just around the corner. We
have chosen a genre of competitions and are practicing with each other in
FBLA to equip and train ourselves for the coming day. Such as reviewing old
practice exams in our area of testing or helping each other with new ideas
and brainstorming ways in creating a website and building a layout for a new
business plan in truth we are striving to become business leaders and winners.
As we organize and concoct more ideas in helping our organization
flourish we have also already finished designing our FBLA shirts. In truth we're
excited to wear something that represents our club and most importantly our
school. Throughout all this planning, practicing, and growing organization we
have learned to rely on each other and become a family that is proud of our
school and determined to get to the top.
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MATER ACADEMY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL
Members of the Mater Academy FBLA Chapter
Christian Rodriguez
participated in the District 25 competition on January 24th, 2014.
Mater FBLA
Members worked endlessly to prepare presentations and reports
Reporter
that would be judged in advance; other studied tirelessly for their
objective test competition, which was held on the day of the
awards ceremony. There were over 60 competitive events and
more than 15 schools competing for first place and the
opportunity to make it to the next level. This event was crucial in
deter mining who would attend the State Leadership
Conference, which will be held from March 21-24, 2014 in
Orlando, Florida. As a result of their hard work and determination
to succeed, 71 members qualified to attend this year’s State
Leadership Conference.
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