State Officer Elections
The following candidates are running for state or national office and will be elected at the State Leadership Conference. All candidates were asked the following question:
"If elected, describe three goals you would like to see the officer team accomplish during your year in office"
State President
Phoenyx Trost - St. Croix Central
1. To set up more business relationships and connections, as the Wisconsin FBLA President I will focus on intentional and professional outreach. Developing a structured outreach plan that includes professional emails, LinkedIn networking, and clear information on the WI FBLA website would help establish strong first connections with potential partners. It is important to clearly highlight how partnering with FBLA benefits businesses, such as creating a leadership pipeline, increasing community impact, and connecting with motivated future professionals. Wisconsin FBLA can also recognize and promote business partners by featuring them on social media and at conferences and events, ensuring they feel valued and appreciated. Creating different partnership levels—such as event sponsors, workshop partners, or competitive event judges—allows businesses to engage in ways that best fit their goals and availability. Additionally, expanding outreach to include small local businesses and startups, not just large corporations, would strengthen community connections and create more diverse and meaningful partnerships across Wisconsin. 2. To increase middle school interest in FBLA and grow the number of middle school chapters, I would focus on creating engaging, accessible, and relationship-based opportunities. Hosting online workshops specifically designed for middle school students would allow them to explore business, leadership, and career skills in a fun and welcoming way. State officers could also visit middle school classrooms to make direct connections with students, or attend virtually through Zoom when in-person visits are not possible, incorporating interactive and hands-on activities to keep students engaged. Additionally, I would create middle school spotlights, such as “Middle School Monday,” and host online competitions to recognize and celebrate middle school members and chapters. Lastly, I would like to create a networking opportunity where I would pair high school FBLA members with middle school students through a mentorship-style event would help younger members feel supported, inspired, and excited to continue their FBLA journey. Together, these efforts would build strong connections, increase visibility, and create a clear pathway for middle school students to become involved in FBLA. 3. I would strengthen WIFBLA’s social media presence by using our social media calendar to the best of my abilities while also adding more stories and interactive content. This includes sharing more personal interviews with fellow officers and creating opportunities for members to be directly involved in our social media. I would also introduce social media challenges between chapters—similar to the ice bucket challenge—to encourage friendly competition and statewide engagement. Officer social media takeovers would allow members to better understand the behind-the-scenes work that goes into being a state officer. Additionally, I would create a submission form where chapters can share things they are proud of accomplishing, whether it’s community service, leadership growth, or other successes, so we can highlight and celebrate members across the state.
State Vice President
Blake Buman - Menasha
1. I would work to implement more "job ready" events or apprenticeship opportunities for our members in relation to event categories. Partnering with businesses and local chapters to create industry specific events based on career paths members wish to pursue from polling results. This would strengthen the skills of our members, provide network opportunities, and help members further on their job path. 2. Another goal is to ensure that FBLA members and advisers are aware of current projects and initiatives that the officers are working on. This shows transparency for local chapters while holding the officer team accountable. 3. The last goal of mine is to continue to promote teamwork between the state officers and local chapters to represent members' best interests.
Core DeNure - Dodgeland
1. Strengthen Communication Between the State Team and Local Chapters. I want our officer team to create more consistent and accessible communication so chapters feel connected and supported throughout the year. Whether it’s through monthly updates, virtual check‑ins, or sharing resources, stronger communication helps every member feel included and informed. 2. Increase Member Engagement and Participation. I’d love to help create more opportunities for members to get involved, from interactive workshops to new statewide challenges or spotlights that highlight chapter achievements. When members feel engaged and recognized, they’re more excited to grow, compete, and stay active in FBLA. 3. Expand Leadership Development Opportunities. One of my biggest goals is to help members build confidence and leadership skills. This could include new training sessions, officer‑to‑officer mentoring, or resources that help chapters run stronger programs. Giving members more ways to grow ensures that FBLA continues to build future leaders across Wisconsin.
Ishika Pulimamidi - Middleton
1. Impactful Service: Wisconsin FBLA already demonstrates a strong commitment to service, with chapters leading their own initiatives and consistently setting the standard in fundraising for our national partner, the Alzheimer’s Association. During my term, I would want the officer team to focus on amplifying this work by highlighting chapter-led service efforts, encouraging the sharing of best practices, and expanding hands-on service opportunities at conferences. By connecting and recognizing the impactful service happening across the state, we can inspire more members to get involved and continue growing our collective impact. 2. Accountability & Access to Resources: I would want the officer team to prioritize clear and consistent communication so that every chapter understands the opportunities available through Wisconsin FBLA, including competitive events, leadership conferences, recognition programs, scholarships, and service initiatives. Too often, strong opportunities and existing programs are underutilized simply because members are unaware of them. To address this, I would support regular, centralized updates for chapter officers and advisors, such as concise monthly opportunity summaries or officer-curated resource guides. Through streamlined updates and intentional outreach to chapter leaders, the officer team can help make information more accessible and consistent, helping chapters stay accountable, increase participation, and feel supported regardless of their size or location. 3. Sustained Member Engagement: Beyond conferences, I would like to see the officer team create more opportunities for members to stay engaged with FBLA at the state level throughout the year. This could include officer-led virtual sessions, informal Q&A opportunities, leadership spotlights, or collaborative initiatives that connect members across chapters. These touchpoints would allow members to engage directly with state officers and with one another outside of competition season. Encouraging year-round engagement will help FBLA to feel like a community that members actively participate in rather than an organization they only interact with at events.
State Secretary/Treasurer
Emme Nyman - Big Foot
1. Continuing transparent communications within Wisconsin regions. I think it is very important that all Wisconsin chapters are on the same page. 2. Community Service. Giving back to our local communities is a fundamental aspect of FBLA and should continue every year. I want to provide more opportunities for local chapters to continue supporting their communities in different ways. 3. Adding more High School and Middle School chapters statewide. It is always important that we keep growing as an organization, so it is important to add more chapters at more schools statewide for students to get into business with.
Ishaan Shukla - Sun Prairie West
1. First, I want to help develop fundraising and recruitment toolkits that give chapters clear strategies to grow membership and run successful events. This will also help chapters raise funds more effectively for conferences, service projects, and activities. 2. Second, I want to establish Regional Round Tables where chapter officers can share ideas, learn from one another, and collaborate across Wisconsin. 3. Finally, I want to expand competitive events and scholarship opportunities so more members feel motivated to participate and achieve success in FBLA
State Reporter
Grace Carter - Baraboo
1. I would like to increase FBLA members preparedness by making competitive event resources more accessible and promote event resources to raise awareness for less known events. 2. I will create a more unified Wisconsin FBLA by forming connections between regions as well as growing the number of chartered chapters in the state. 3. I will work to gain more awareness for FBLA as a whole to help local chapters form community and statewide connections.
Caius Higgins - Edgar
1. Ensure every FBLA member is ready for anything that comes their way. Achieved by ensuring that FBLA has high standards for it's members so they may overcome anything that comes their way. 2. Increase positive alumni interactions. FBLA chapters and regions sometimes struggle to find judges. Along with the officer team, I hope to increase positive interactions with our alumni, to hopefully create a better relation to them. Many other organizations can look to alumni for assistance, I hope to find a way with other brilliant people to start that for every chapter. 3. No one goes unnoticed. Everyone in FBLA is a hard worker on way or another. Having and encouraging face-to-face conversations as an officer team shows true passion for leadership and others. Compliments help confidence.
Kilyan Laubenstein - Lomira
1. First, I like to increase member engagement across the state regions. This would entail promoting state events, and encouraging consistent participation from chapters. This goal is important because members who are engaged are more likely to stay active within the FBLA, become better leaders, and feel closer to the organization. 2. Second, I would like the officer team to focus on leadership development for all members at every level. By offering workshops, resources, and opportunities for members to be active in leadership roles, we can help students become more confident and gain real-world skills. This goal is important because one of FBLA’s most valuable benefits of being a member is preparing students for future careers, and leadership roles. 3. Third and finally, I would like to improve communication and support between the state officer team and local chapters. We could achieve this by giving regular updates, doing school visits, and being accessible to answer questions. This goal is important because it helps chapters feel more supported and makes sure all members are aware of opportunities for them.
Riley Pelletiere - Sheboygan Falls
1. First, I would like to create a place for a Q&A where members can ask questions, because communication goes both ways. 2. Second, I would love to see the officer team focus on highlighting a chapter every month. FBLA is a big community, and we need to show support and understanding for our members across the state. 3. Lastly, the biggest thing I would want the officer team to accomplish is educating our members about options after high school. FBLA is always talking about the future, so we need our members to truly understand that they have different paths they can take to best suit them.
State Parliamentarian
State Parliamentarian candidates do not campaign at SLC, but have completed the required steps for state office and score the highest on the Parliamentary Procedure objective test.
Vivian Feng - Middleton
Aarthi Kota - Sun Prairie West
Sachi Makani - Grafton
National Officer Applicants
National Treasurer - Ishaan Shukla, Sun Prairie West
1. Career-corporate connections: To show how impactful FBLA can be to its members, I want to create a media series which brings alumni who currently work in the business related sector to talk about how our members can use FBLA to become a thriving future business leader. 2. Enhance Financial Literacy Education: With a personal finance course beginning to become mandatory in many states around the nation, FBLA students should be able to satisfy their personal finance requirement through participation in many different programs. Although ambitious, finding ways FBLA national can partner with local state legislature to create a streamlined personal finance course, which members can participate in, will be instrumental to our current members, and prospective ones. 3. Creatively highlight pre-professional success that FBLA can provide: By highlighting our partner programs, scholarships and many other opportunities members can be a part of, we can retain members more effectively. In showing that there is true professional enhancement that FBLA can provide, high school students around the nation will be enticed to join.
National Parliamentarian - Ishika Pulimamidi, Middleton
**The National Parliamentarian Applicant for Wisconsin is required to complete a screening process and then score highest amongst state applicants on the Parliamentary Procedure objective test.**