The Coffee High School FBLA chapter recently participated in the Georgia FBLA State Leadership Conference in Atlanta, where students competed in a variety of business and leadership events alongside chapters from across the state on March 12-16, 2026. From exploring downtown Atlanta, riding MARTA, and late nights, to meeting FBLA members from across the state, the conference provided students with valuable networking and educational opportunities.
After a long day of competition on Friday, Coffee High School had four performance events advance to the finals round Saturday morning, placing among the top 12 entries in Georgia. Finalist teams included Addie Ingalls, Tanya Patel, and Emma Russ in the Local Chapter Annual Business Report, Dominic Mimbang in Future Business Leader and Career Portfolio, as well as Valeria Vega and Ana Velazquez in Visual Design.
Of the finalists, senior Dominic Mimbang advanced to the National Leadership Conference in San Antonio in June, where he will compete again for a national placing. Dominic placed first in Future Business Leader and third in Career Portfolio performance events. The upcoming national conference will mark his fourth appearance at the national level. At SLC, he was also awarded the $500 Dr. Russell Mercer scholarship by being named the Region 2 Who’s Who in FBLA recipient. Dominic also served on the FBLA State Executive Council for 2025-26 and as a Region 2 Officer. Adviser Kristi Joyner shared, “Dominic’s passion and dedication to FBLA has been a journey, and we’re grateful as a chapter for the leadership he has shown and connections he has made within Georgia and the National FBLA organization. Students from all over the nation know about Coffee FBLA as a result of his excellence in performance events and networking. We look forward to seeing his success once again this summer in San Antonio at NLC.”
The CHS FBLA chapter also earned several prestigious awards at SLC and was awarded Gold Chapter of the Year for involvement and excellence in Georgia FBLA’s Shattering Limits 2025-26 events and tasks. Gold is the highest achievement a chapter can earn. Adviser Kelly Gilliard’s hard work and dedication to our chapter were recognized when she was recognized as the Region 2 FBLA Adviser of the Year. She was awarded one of FBLA’s golden tickets as a result. Coffee High CTAE Director Jessica Baker was awarded Director of the Year for her continual support of FBLA and the success of CTAE in Coffee County. The chapter was also recognized for its membership growth with a Local Chapter Recruitment award and a 50-member club ribbon. Coffee FBLA has a long-standing tradition of excellence, and the tradition continued at this year’s SLC.
