<p> FRITZ SCHERZ Councilman, Verona Town Board 6081 Rock Road Verona, NY 13478 (315) 363-3509 [email protected] www.fritzscherz.com</p><p>The VVS community is very fortunate to have a teacher like Keith Scheibel and a great program like the VVS FFA. As many already know, Keith is not only the Ag Instructor at VVS, but also the FFA Advisor. As a former student of Keith’s at VVS, I know first hand the deep commitment he has to VVS and the FFA. I credit the FFA under Keith’s leadership as one of the reasons I became more comfortable speaking in front of people, as the FFA afforded me many opportunities to take part in speaking contests and the like. In addition, the structure of the Ag courses was such that it wasn’t just classroom-only learning, but also hands-on. Yes, we actually got to build things (i.e., a greenhouse). </p><p>Why do I bring this up now? Well, on January 8th, I attended the VVS FFA Maple Conference and was thoroughly impressed with the job that the VVS FFA did hosting an event of this magnitude! In touring the gym where the trade show portion of the conference was taking place, I had the opportunity to speak with various vendors from different parts of the United States. Hearing them tell how great of an event this was made me feel really proud of the work that Keith and his students had done. I also had the opportunity to speak with a few members of the VVS FFA. Hearing these students talk about the event made it obvious that they were proud to be in the VVS FFA. </p><p>Who would think that one of the largest conferences in the maple industry would be held in Verona, NY? Well, because of Keith and his fabulous students, it is possible. Seeing the way the VVS FFA program has evolved and grown of the years, it is no surprise that Keith has earned many accolades over the years, including the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Outstanding Young Agriculture Educator, the National FFA AgriScience Teacher of the Year Runner-up, and the NAAE Teacher-of-Teachers Award, to name just a few. </p><p>In closing, I am honored to have taken part in the VVS FFA as a student and am very impressed with the work that Keith and his students have done and continue to do. Thank you.</p><p>Fritz Scherz Councilman, Verona Town Board </p>