Irene Higgs traveled an atypical path to her current leadership position as executive director of the Sun Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization in Casa Grande, Ariz. Living life outside the norm, however, is where Higgs is most comfortable.
Higgs’ upbringing might seem unconventional to some. By the time she was a junior in high school, her family had moved 20 times and lived on a homestead ranch without running water or electricity. While her home life was nurturing and fulfilling, her experiences made Irene feel different from her peers. She was often the “new kid” at school, which made fitting in a challenge.
Then she joined FFA. When it came time to judge dairy cattle at the Arizona State Fair, Irene was a natural. She discovered her aptitude for scoring body conditions; she had an eye for perfect hoof placement and mastered the ability to read a cow’s character. Winning first place for Snowflake FFA in Snowflake, Ariz., became the first step in a lifelong leadership journey.
“It’s tough to fit in when you are an outsider and the new kid,” Higgs says. “Becoming involved in FFA was a saving grace. The year after I won dairy evaluation, I ran for our chapter sweetheart. When I wasn’t selected the president of our chapter said, ‘We have bigger plans for you.’”
Those plans included becoming the chapter’s first female FFA president. While her FFA jacket today is stored in the attic, the leadership roles she earned have followed her throughout life.
“I held jobs in fast-food restaurants, as an arts and crafts director and as a district manager for a retail store in Alabama,” Higgs says. “My experience is varied, but FFA prepared me for all of those positions.”
When her family moved back to Arizona, Higgs began her career with the Arizona Department of Transportation, providing communities with transportation and planning services. Though no two days are the same, she finds familiarity in using the skills she learned through FFA.
“On any given day, I may be managing a multi-million-dollar budget, reviewing contracts or meeting with a government official,” Higgs says. “I’m a long way from that shy girl in high school whose hands shook behind the podium while delivering a speech. My advisors and chapter officers saw potential in me, and I’m so grateful to them for bringing me out of my shell and helping me find a purpose.”
