What Nevada FFA Leadership Development Events Are
Leadership development events, or LDEs, are FFA contests built around speaking, meeting skills and decision making rather than a technical trade. In Nevada they happen alongside the career events at the state convention in Reno each spring, where more than 700 members competed in March 2026, per the Mesa Valleys Progress. This guide covers the speaking and meeting events. The technical contests are in the companion career events guide.
Events Nevada Students Have Competed In
Convention coverage across several years names these speaking and meeting events:
- Prepared Public Speaking: a Churchill County student took first place in 2024 per the Fallon Post, and Virgin Valley placed second in 2024.
- Extemporaneous Speaking: reported at state in 2023, 2024 and 2026, with individual placings in each.
- Creed Speaking: third place in 2024 for a Churchill County student and second overall for Moapa Valley, per the Mesa Valleys Progress.
- Conduct of Chapter Meetings: a team of seven Moapa Valley freshmen placed second at state in 2024, and the chapter's team placed third in 2026.
- Parliamentary Procedure: Moapa Valley placed third in 2026, and Diamond Mountain FFA earned a bronze rating at nationals, per the Fallon Post.
- Best Informed Greenhand: a test of FFA knowledge for first-year members, reported in 2013 and in later years, with team placings.
- Employment Skills: reported at the 2023 and 2024 conventions.
Lineups change from year to year, so confirm the current list with your advisor.
Where and When
The state convention is a multi-day event at the University of Nevada, Reno and the Nugget Casino Resort. The 2023 convention ran March 20 to 24, the 2024 convention ran March 25 to 28, and the 97th convention in 2026 was in Reno per Carson Now. Dates change each year, so ask your advisor.
Qualifying and Moving On
Published coverage does not describe a district qualifying round for Nevada leadership events. It shows chapters entering teams and individuals directly at the state convention. A 2013 report said winners advance to the National FFA Convention, and Nevada members have earned national bronze ratings in Creed Speaking, Prepared Public Speaking, Extemporaneous Public Speaking and Parliamentary Procedure at the 98th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis. Ask your advisor how your chapter qualifies.
Choosing an Event
- Solo speakers: Prepared Public Speaking if you like writing and rehearsing, Extemporaneous Speaking if you think fast, Creed Speaking if you want a shorter memorized piece.
- Team players: Parliamentary Procedure and Conduct of Chapter Meetings reward a group that has run real meetings together.
- First-year members: Best Informed Greenhand is built for you.
- Job-ready: Employment Skills tests the application and interview side of an ag career.
Preparing
- Rehearse out loud, in front of other people, and time every run.
- Run real chapter meetings by the book so the team knows motions cold.
- Ask judges, teachers or community leaders to give feedback before state.
- Watch the school calendar. Convention week takes several days of class time.
- Arrive early to your contest room and know your start time.
Why Leadership Events Matter
Speaking and meeting events build skills that carry into 4-H, college and ranch life. They also sit beside the larger convention program, which includes State Degrees, chapter awards and officer elections. Moapa Valley's Addysen Sherwood was elected 2026-27 state FFA president, per the Mesa Valleys Progress. Chapters also win program awards, such as Moapa Valley's Best Program of Activities Award in 2023.
For families, the practical points are simple. The event runs several days, rural chapters travel long distances, and speakers and teams usually travel with an advisor who handles registration. Ask the advisor early for event times, the travel plan and any fees, and check which contest rooms your student is assigned.
Students new to speaking can start small. Best Informed Greenhand is aimed at first-year members, and Nevada coverage shows freshman teams placing well in meeting events. Try a chapter-level speech first, then step up to state.
Recent Nevada Results
Placings show how competitive the state events are. At the 2024 convention, Virgin Valley's Rex Rasmussen placed second in Prepared Public Speaking and third in Extemporaneous Public Speaking, and Moapa Valley's Rylan Sproul placed second overall in Creed Speaking. In 2023, Moapa Valley's Iain McMurray won Extemporaneous Speaking and Elise Dalley placed third in Prepared Public Speaking and Employment Skills. At the 2026 convention, Carson City's Capitol FFA reported a third-high individual in Extemporaneous Speaking, per Carson Now. Use these as a sense of the field, not a prediction: rosters and rules change every year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the state convention?
In Reno, with events on the University of Nevada, Reno campus and at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks.
Is there a district qualifier?
None is described in published coverage. Ask your chapter advisor.
Can freshmen compete?
Yes. A team of seven Moapa Valley freshmen placed second in Conduct of Meetings in 2024.
What comes after state?
The National FFA Convention and Expo, which recent coverage places in Indianapolis.
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.