Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Kyle Hilbert (center), meets with Depew FFA members.
Taking office at the age of 30 made Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Kyle Hilbert the youngest to ever hold this position. Although it seemed like he was quick to rise to power in the public eye, from an early age, his friends and family from his hometown of Depew, Okla., watched Hilbert work diligently to achieve his goals as he built his future.
Representative Hilbert began his FFA journey as an eighth grader eager to experience all it had to offer. He was active in all areas of FFA, but fell in love with leadership through public speaking.
He began his first speech season by going to several competitions. Without winning first place at a single contest, however, he continued to work hard. He competed at regionals, where he placed second — high enough to advance to the area competition. The next week, he once again placed second at area and advanced to state. He then competed with the top competitors from across the state of Oklahoma and achieved his goal of winning a speech contest when he was named the eighth-grade agriculture exploration state champion.
The same hard work, dedication and determination that made eighth-grade Kyle successful back then is what makes Speaker Hilbert successful today.
Throughout the next few years, Hilbert achieved more FFA awards and achievements, including multiple state champion speaking titles. One of the highlights was being the state extemporaneous champion, which qualified him to compete against the other state winners at the National FFA Convention & Expo. At the 84th National FFA Convention & Expo in 2011, Hilbert won the National FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking event.
Hilbert later served as the northeast area vice president for the Oklahoma FFA Association. While attending Oklahoma State University, he was also elected to serve as the student body president.
Shortly after graduation, Hilbert was elected as one of the youngest members to serve in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. On a daily basis throughout his career, Speaker Hilbert has utilized the leadership and public speaking skills he learned in FFA. Furthermore, the life skills and dedication instilled in him through FFA has aided in his success in his career.
Speaker Hilbert continues to make an impact in the community, as he has become one of an influential lawmaker within our state. “It’s a really humbling experience to step into the role of the 45th speaker of the house,” he says.
The state of Oklahoma is fortunate to have a leader with his background — much of which he received through his time in FFA.
