7.03 National Officer Candidate Selection

Pennsylvania has built a strong state chapter and participation on the local, regional, and state levels is outstanding. To complete the total cycle of leadership development, serious consideration also must begiven to encourage students with strong leadership potential to run for national office. Pennsylvania FBLA members are encouraged to run for national office and must meet the following criteria:

1. Hold or have held a local, region, or state level for at least 4 months prior to submitting the national officer application.
2. Maintain a “B” average in all business subjects.
3. Submit a letter of application to the Executive Director/State Chairman outlining reasons and qualifications for seeking office one month prior to the first day of the SLC. This application must include the signature of the chapter adviser, the parent/guardian, the principal, and the chief school administrator.
4. Campaign at the SLC.
5. Deliver a campaign speech at the SLC.
6. Solicit support for the national campaign by outlining platform and campaign strategy to those chapters planning to attend the NLC. (Example: Type a list of all things needed to run a campaign, different projects that could be assigned to cooperating chapters, etc.)
7. The deadline for PA FBLA members who wish to run for national office will be January 15—the same as the state officer candidate application deadline. National officer candidates will complete a similar online application as state officer candidates.
8. Candidates for national office will be required to complete all components of the state officer election process.
9. Approved national officer candidates will be required to attend the May/June state officer leadership training program.

If one or two candidates run for national office, the winner must be endorsed by a majority of the voting delegates at the SLC. If more than two candidates run, the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes at the SLC will be Pennsylvania’s candidate.

If a vacancy occurs on the national slate of national office candidates after the Pennsylvania State Leadership Conference, the Executive Director/State Chairman, along with the State Committee, may grant permission for a current state officer or a former state officer to declare his or her candidacy for national office.

All voting delegates from Pennsylvania to the NLC will be committed to the winning candidate, and each school represented at the NLC will be asked to assist with the campaign.