Fifty-seven students and 22 advisers from the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) traveled to Orlando, Florida to compete at the 2024 Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference (NLC), a four-day event hosted in major cities across the United States. While the vast majority of competitors at the NLC Collegiate Conference are students in four-year universities, TCSG students won 18 trophies, with nine students claiming cash prizes for placing in the top three.  

"We are incredibly proud of our students and advisers for their outstanding performance at the Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference,” said TCSG Commissioner, Greg Dozier. “Winning 18 trophies and securing multiple top-three finishes is a testament to the talent of our TCSG community. Our students continue to demonstrate excellence and leadership on the national stage, and we look forward to their continued success.” 

More than 2,000 students and advisers from two and four-year institutions across the U.S. and Puerto Rico attend this conference each year. While the primary focus of the conference is competition, students and advisers had more than 30 workshops, panels, and sessions they could attend to help them develop their career, strengthen their leadership skills, or learn more about maximizing the success of their chapter.

The NLC is where students claim their title as national champions. Collegiate students can compete in 35 events, ranging from accounting, technology, business, management, and more.  To secure their ticket to the NLC, Georgia students had to place in the top four in up to three events at the Georgia FBLA State Leadership Conference this past April.

Several Georgia chapters received special recognition for their efforts over the course of the 2023-2024 year. The Gold Seal Award is given to chapters that complete and submit documentation for a certain number of activities. Columbus Technical College, North Georgia Technical College, and Ogeehee Technical College chapters received the Gold Seal Award.

The Outstanding Chapter Award ranks the top ten chapters nationally based on their activity levels and documentation. Three out of the ten top chapters in the nation were Georgia chapters—North Georgia Technical College placed ninth, Ogeechee Technical College placed fifth, and Columbus Technical College placed fourth. In addition, the Georgia FBLA Collegiate state chapter won second place for largest increase in state chapter membership for the 2023-2024 year.

During the NLC Opening Session, two Georgia FBLA Collegiates were invited to the stage for a very special recognition. Columbus Technical College student Reggie Mathis was recognized as Georgia’s State President and a “Who’s Who in FBLA” recipient. Ogeechee Technical College instructor and advisor Michael Twisdale was recognized as Georgia FBLA Collegiate’s Advisor of the Year.

Georgia will host the upcoming Career Connections Conference in October 2024. This is open to all college students and focuses on connecting talented individuals with leading employers, while teaching students critical techniques to compete in today’s job market.