History of Washington State FBLA

“Today public education takes much criticism that the schools are not preparing the students properly to face the real world. FBLA is one tool that can prepare our future leaders for whatever career they choose.”
-Julie and Greg Hart, parents of Connell FBLA members, Brian, Eric, and Emily Hart

Washington State Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is a state affiliate of Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda located in Reston, Virginia. FBLA-PBL, Inc. is an international professional association for students with career interests in the field of business.

1937
Hamden L. Forkner of Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City proposed to business teachers that a national organization was needed for the thousands of business clubs in the nation’s high schools and colleges. As a result of his efforts, the first local chapter was formed in Johnson City, Tennessee, on February 3, 1940. Two days later a second chapter was chartered in St. Albans, West Virginia. Before the year’s end, another thirty-nine chapters were added.

1940
The National Council for Business Education sponsored a student organization named “Future Business Leaders of America.”Over the next three years, promotion of new chapter development was discontinued during World War II. Even so, thirty-eight new chapters were chartered during this time.

1942
Elma High School FBLA became the sixth local chapter in the nation and the first chapter in the state of Washington.

1946
The United Business Education Association (UBEA) was formed by the merging of the National Council for Business Education (NCBE) and the Department of Business Education of the National Education Association (NEA). UBEA assumed the sponsorship of FBLA and established headquarters at the National Education Association Center in Washington DC.
The first state chapter was established in Iowa in 1947, quickly followed by Indiana and Ohio. Over the next three years, California, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oregon, South Carolina, and Virginia followed.

1949
A professor at Central Washington University, Dr. Eugene Kosy was convinced by Fay Smith, FBLA adviser at Chehalis High School, that FBLA was an important component of the Business and Office Education curriculum being taught at the university. During the 1950s, Dr. Kosy conducted an aggressive campaign to generate interest among high school teachers, vocational directors, school district administrators, and students in FBLA. He continued his efforts until 1964 when five local chapters applied for a state charter.

1965
Washington State FBLA held its first State Leadership Conference at Central Washington University with ten chapters represented. Dr. Kosy’s vision of student leadership as part of the high school curriculum is enjoyed to the present day, and each year a $1,000 Eugene Kosy college scholarship is awarded to an FBLA member by the Washington State Business Education Association.
Dr. Kosy turned the administration of Washington State FBLA over to the Business and Office Education section at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in Olympia in 1965, where it became an “integral part of the business education curriculum” in the secondary schools of the state.

1969
Washington State FBLA conducted a successful campaign for the office of National FBLA President. Steve Taylor from Richland High School was Washington State’s first national officer and the first national president from the Western Region of the United States. It wasn’t until 1998 that Washington enjoyed another National President as Annemarie Reda from Toutle Lake High School lead the FBLA National Association during the 1998-99 academic year.

December 31, 1985
Dr. Mari Shaw, Business and Office Supervisor from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and State President Kory Floyd, filed Articles of Incorporation with the Office of the Secretary of State, establishing Washington State FBLA Inc. as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. This was a time of budget cutbacks within the state, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction ceased to fund staff positions for the statewide coordination of FBLA. The State Adviser position for FBLA and two secretarial positions were eliminated. Coordination of FBLA programs became contracted, and student fees became the main source of funding. Under FBLA’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, the Chairman of the Board of Directors would continue to be the Business and Office Supervisor at OSPI. Although FBLA remained “integral” to Business Education, according to OSPI and the U.S. Department of Education, statewide coordination became the responsibility of the State Adviser, who reported to a volunteer Board of Directors. This action caused immediate strict budgetary constraints, and continuation was questionable. It was only through dedication and belief in student leadership of members and teacher advisers that increased fees to members carried the program for the years ahead.

1985-86
During this academic year, membership in Washington State FBLA grew to 4,895 members in 168 high school chapters. The FBLA State Office was moved to New Market Vocational Skills Center in Tumwater, where it remained until the spring of 1992.

1992
The state FBLA office was relocated back in the Old Capitol Building with OSPI, though still no funding was provided for the State Adviser from state sources other than the provision of office space. Geri Modrell, a business education teacher at Marysville-Pilchuck High School, became Business Education Program Supervisor at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and also State Chairman of FBLA. Ms. Modrell, with the assistance of a statewide committee of business education teachers, began a successful program for teaching teachers integration of student leadership through FBLA into daily classroom instruction.

1996
The Board of Directors gave the State Adviser the title of Executive Director, to be used when communicating with the business world. It was the opinion of that board that the new title would assist the State Adviser in securing appointments and funding from sources other than education. The Executive Director was given the added responsibility of raising moneys for the future of Washington State FBLA.
From 1996 to 1998, Washington State FBLA enjoyed a federal grant allocation of $25,000, which was part of Carl Perkins Vocational Funds administered by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. During the 1999 legislative session, Washington State FBLA was awarded a $10,000 allocation from the state legislature. During these years, Washington State FBLA established business partnerships with Cavanaughs Hotels, Fisher Radio, Continental Airlines, and Washington Financial Officers Association, all who assisted the organization with in-kind donations and some monetary contributions.

1999
It was determined by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction that all vocational student organizations would be removed from the Old Capitol Building. Federal funding guidelines were amended to make student leadership a “permissible” funding category rather than “integral” as was previously stated, and funding at all levels was questioned. In June the FBLA State Office moved to the Security Building in downtown Olympia. For the first time in the history of Washington State FBLA it would be necessary to rent office space, as well as fund other operating expenses for a state-level operation. FBLA became more of a business than an education entity, although the interface with business education would remain a necessity to the structure of the program.
At the same time as FBLA office moved to rented space, it was determined that FBLA would receive only $15,000 from the Carl Perkins moneys, with the $10,000 legislative “allocation” supporting the cutback. In addition, OSPI would no longer support substitute teacher reimbursement for business teachers who serve on the FBLA Board of Directors and Executive Committee, which would cost the organization an estimated $12,000 if teachers are to continue volunteering their expertise. As Washington State FBLA operates at a bare bones annual budget of approximately $200,000, the lost funds would definitely curtail activities if not replaced. Student fees were increased as well as the search for corporate and private funding to support the office and the position of Executive Director and one half-time support staff.
Interest in leadership through FBLA continues to grow each year, and at the end of the 1998-99 academic year, the state enjoyed a membership of 5,614 in 183 public and private junior high and high schools.

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