National FFA President Andrew Seibel and past National FFA Eastern Region Vice President Tess Seibel are the first brother and sister to serve as national officers in the 95-year history of the organization. You could say the Seibel family has blue and gold in its genes. How do family characteristics turn into competencies of premier leadership? Learn from the Seibel siblings about how their childhood shaped them into the agricultural leaders they are today.
Tess and Andrew are the third generation to farm their family land in Virginia. Here is Tess with her grandfather learning to plant the first grapevines on the farm. “At this point in life, I wasn’t quite old enough to speak, but there is tremendous value in listening and learning from the first generation,” Tess says.
As children, the Seibel siblings grew up with both parents working as leaders in agriculture and Virginia FFA. Their mother, Megan, is an Extension specialist in leadership best practices and recently served as the Virginia deputy secretary of agriculture and forestry. Their father, Andy, serves as the executive secretary for Virginia FFA.
One year, Tess and Andrew attended National FFA Convention & Expo with their family during Halloween. They trick-or-treated around the national convention expo center, collecting candy and unconsciously learning about agriculture and FFA. Andrew even dressed as a pumpkin to celebrate this important crop.
Harvest time is a favorite season for Tess and Andrew, and they’ve had a job ever since they can remember. While they may have started simply picking flowers, they took on different roles and responsibilities as they got older. Being a good teammate means supporting in different ways in different stages of life.
Advocating for agriculture today no longer involves costumes. Here, Tess and Andrew are standing in front of the governor’s mansion in Virginia with the secretary of agriculture, Matthew Lohr.
“We were taught that you are an advocate every time you wear the blue jacket,” Tess says. “There is a time when we have to go to elected officials or communities to increase the visibility of the organization and the issues in agriculture.”
"We hosted a community mural dedication on Sept. 21 where two of our chapter members, Kaylee Hopkins and Jacob Ellerbusch, shared the significance of the mural and thanked Mrs. Voight for her time and dedication," advisor Krysti Kelley says.
Tess, Andrew and sister Claire were all part of the same land evaluation career development team in high school and were coached by their dad. They consider their family their first team and built a foundation of being a good team player.
Farming in a small town means every generation has gone to the same elementary school. With the school focusing on developing good character, the whole community works to ensure its young people are doing their best and are recognized for their efforts whether they are attending school, playing T-ball or working at the local grocer.
Modeling expectations is a long-learned trait of the Seibel family. With a spirit for service, both Seibel grandparents served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. After their grandmother’s dad wouldn’t allow her to join the Peace Corps, she volunteered as a Navy nurse. Those stories of commitment and perseverance continue to inspire the siblings.
The letter “D” honors the county's reputation for growing peaches and hosting the Parker County Peach Festival. The letter “O” pays homage to the farms and ranches that formed the community, and the letters “FFA” include an owl, plow, rising sun, corn and eagle. Finally, the horse and rider in the background represent the significance of ranch horses in Parker County.
Did you know roughly 45% of military recruits come from rural communities? According to the National Priorities Project, this is due to shared values. Tess and Andrew’s sister, Claire, is currently a regimental commander for the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Tech and will earn her commission with the Navy in 2023.
Both Tess and Andrew also understand the value of growing the organization and giving back. In 2022, they both volunteered with Virginia FFA for media, graphic design and script writing. While most people don’t realize how student-driven something like a state convention can be, they both find value in serving behind the scene.
