Our 2021-22 State Officer Team certainly had a challenging year as Covid 19 determined how and when MNBPA would hold its myriad of activities.

So many of these were held virtually through social media platforms, Zoom meetings etcetera.  Our MNBPA showed their versatility and ability to still make the year one of the best!

Thanks to our outgoing team of Chloe Steinke, Kaleigh Reller and Caryn Marty!

Part of the agenda of the Board of Directors Summer Conference is the election of the executive team for the coming year.   The conference was held on July 9-10 in Detroit Lakes, MN.

Jill Wrobbel from Region 1 and previously served as vice chair was elected as  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.

Congratulations to this excellent team who will serve MN BPA well in the coming challenging year.  For more information about the Board of Directors please visit our page. https://www.mnbpa.org/board

Elijah Johnson is a junior at Blaine High School, who is enrolled in their Center for Engineering, Mathematics and Science (CEMS) program. He is also a three-year member of BPA who has served as Blaine’s Chapter treasurer, the President of Region 4, and is now your 2021-2022 Secondary Division National President.  Elijah was fortunate enough to reach out to Amy Schreyer, the 2018-2019 National Vice President who was also from Minnesota, for some advice on the election process.  Amy encouraged him on his journey and offered some wonderful insight on the process.  Although this year was different from her experiences since it was virtual, Amy knew what it was like to not only run for National Office twice, but also what it’s really like being a National Officer. Her advice was a big help in navigating the election process start to finish.

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.

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.