December 04, 2024

Indiana FFA mourns sudden loss of executive director

By Ashley Langreck

Gathered together for a group photo during the holidays last year are 2019-2020 Indiana FFA state officers Taylor Roy (from left), reporter; Caitlyn Lewis, secretary; Dillon Muhlenkamp, president; Morgan Hinz, northern region vice president; Rob Hays, executive director; Noah Berning, treasurer; Eion Stephens, sentinel; and Nathan Fairchild, southern region vice president.

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana FFA is mourning the sudden loss of Rob Hays, who served as executive director since 2018.

Born in Normal, Illinois, Hays, 32, was an avid FFA enthusiast and advocate for the agriculture industry. He died Sept. 20.

He was very active in FFA — from being involved in the South Newton FFA Chapter when he was in high school, serving as the 2006-2007 Indiana FFA state reporter, teaching and serving as the FFA adviser at Warsaw High School for several years, to serving as the executive director of Indiana FFA.

Three 2019-2020 Indiana FFA state officers who knew Hays on a personal level shared how much he meant to them and the lasting impact that he will leave on their lives.

Taylor Roy, reporter: "If you took just a brief look into the 2019-2020 Indiana FFA state officer team's house, you would often hear the phrase, 'Rob Hays is my hero.' That phrase perfectly describes how Mr. Hays impacted all of us. Reflecting back on my year as a Indiana state officer, there were so many things that stuck out to me about Mr. Hays. We kicked off our year at the busy, but amazing Indiana State Fair. Despite how busy we all were, whether it was showing our stations to the public of giving tours, Mr. Hays made sure to have 'Hays Time' with each of the officers. 'Hays Time' was the opportunity to spend some time with Mr. Hays exploring the state fair and getting to know him on a personal level. As the year went on, as we know, things did not go exactly as expected with COVID-19, but Mr. Hays handled each situation not as a setback, but as an opportunity to explore new avenues to meet the needs of our members. Mr. Hays left a legacy on Indiana FFA as a whole. It was clear on so many levels that Mr. Hays was our hero and a lifesaver whose legacy will never be forgotten."

Dillon Muhlenkamp, president: "During my first few weeks into my state officer year, I was actually kind of scared of Mr. Hays. However, I soon learned that Mr. Hays was someone who I could always count on. He always had a new and impressive idea to complement anything anyone came up with. Whenever you presented Mr. Hays with a new idea, he always gave you that classic look and said, 'Well, um, so maybe, it's a great idea, but let's keep thinking.' He never was discouraging, but always challenged you to grow and expand your ideas."

Caitlyn Lewis, secretary: "A superhero is defined as a benevolent character with superhuman powers. Well, Mr. Hays was Indiana FFA's superhero. No matter the problem at hand, Mr. Hays always had the answer. He knew exactly what to say and when to say it — day or night. Looking back over my year of service, some of the best moments my team and I had included Mr. Hays. I think about the long days and nights at the Indiana State Fair and how he made sure we were always having fun and enjoying our time with members. Or, when we would hear the Mr. Hays was our lead staff member for our district kickoff night, we would instantly be more excited for the night to come. His sarcastic sense of humor would never fail to raise our spirits and encourage us to get through our day. These simple moments are just small glimpses of the impact he has made on so many of us. Mr. Hays was a superhero for my team, and he was a superhero for Indiana FFA. My heart is heavy at the thought that we won't see him anymore, but my heart is full in knowing that he left a legacy that will be remembered forever."