Congratulations to the newly elected 2023 State Officers for MN Business Professionals of America.

These officers will serve through the end of NLC 2023.  At SLC 2023 we will hold a regular election and moving forward elections will take place annually at SLC.

• Wyatt Bendickson – Triton HS – President
• Claire Brandenburg – Watertown Mayer HS – Executive VP
• Ava Gran – Barnum HS– VP Membership Outreach
• Lydia Stanton – Triton HS – VP Communications
• Will Green – East Ridge HS – VP Development
• Alexandra Carlson – Minnewaska HS - VP Specialized Activities

Thank you to all who participated in the election process held earlier this week!

Learn more about the State Executive Team here!

Jill Wrobbel from Region 1 and previously served as vice chair is the Board of Director's Chair.  Jill teaches at Annandale High School.

Vice chair is Leah Lencowski who teaches at Eastview High School in Apple Valley and represents Region 2.

Rebecca Goossens from Region 3 will remain as secretary.  Rebecca teaches at Triton High School.

Our outgoing chair is Renae Carlson from St. Michael-Albertville schools.  Renae will continue her service on the board as past chair.

For more information about the Board of Directors please visit our page. https://www.mnbpa.org/board

(Columbus, Ohio) April 14, 2022 — The Business Professionals of America (BPA) Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Steven J. Mitchell as Executive Director/CEO, effective April 28.

Since 2015, Mr. Mitchell has been the Tennessee Department of Education’s state director/advisor for two Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs), DECA and FBLA-PBL. In this role, he directed programs and events for more than 350 chapters and over 13,000 students and teachers throughout Tennessee. He has served on DECA Inc.’s Board of Directors since 2020 and has participated in task forces on governance; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and high school competitive events.

Mr. Mitchell began his career in business education as a marketing teacher, Career and Technical Education (CTE) department chair, CTSO advisor, and varsity boys bowling coach at Whitehaven High School in Memphis, Tennessee.

“As a classroom teacher, state CTSO leader, and proven state education administrator, Mr. Mitchell brings experience in leading and collaborating with advisors, students, staff, boards, industry partners, and other stakeholders, which positions BPA for growth,” said Dr. Brenda Jacobsen, National BPA’s Board Chair. “The entire Board of Trustees is delighted to welcome him to BPA.”

“Joining the Business Professionals of America staff is truly a dream come true,” said Mr. Mitchell. “I have passionately dedicated more than a decade advocating for CTE students and teachers and CTSO members and advisors, and I am excited to help BPA members and advisors continue to give purpose to their potential.”

Mr. Mitchell earned a B.A. in communications with a marketing minor from the University of Tennessee at Martin, an M.S. in integrated marketing communications from Roosevelt University, and an M.A. in education from Union University. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

The mission of Business Professionals of America is to develop and empower student leaders to discover their passion and change the world by creating unmatched opportunities in learning, professional growth and service.

Our vision for Business Professionals of America is: To be an innovator in Career and Technical Education, providing our members with opportunities for growth through education, competition, community service and personal development.

Business Professionals of America is the leading CTSO (Career and Technical Student Organization) for students pursuing careers in business management, office administration, information technology and other related career fields.  Our Minnesota State Representative to the Foundation for Student Organizations is Steve Weber.

Minnesota Business Professionals of America (formerly Office Education Association) was chartered on June 7, 1968. For more information on the organization's history please visit: https://bpa.org/about-us/our-history/.

Nationally, BPA has 43,000 members in over 2,300 chapters in 23 states. In Minnesota we have over 1,100 members in  eight regions.  BPA is a co-curricular organization that supports business and information technology educators by offering co-curricular exercises based on national standards.  

For Minnesota information about joining or starting a new chapter contact our State Executive Director, Jackie Schiller.

The Workplace Skills Assessment Program (WSAP) prepares students to succeed and assesses real-world business skills and problem solving abilities in finance, management, IT and computer applications. It is BPA's showcase program and facilitates students demonstrating their career skills at regional, state and national conferences in 72 competitive events, including virtual opportunities. 

For more info about our program, please contact Minnesota's CEAC (Classroom Educator's Advisory Council) representative, Lynn O'Driscoll.