THIS WEEK'S PERSONALITY: Connor Portz holds FFA offices for three years

Connor Portz has been a very busy young man.

The Loudonville High School senior has served as an officer of the LHS FFA chapter for the past three years, and is concluding his term as chapter president.

“Being president is a lot of work,” Portz said. “You have to plan to get stuff done; you have to ensure that all members are on deck; you have to be organized; and you find yourself doing all sorts of extra stuff.

“And it’s time consuming,” he continued. “You have to be at almost every event, and planning, you learn, is a very critical thing. For instance, at our annual FFA banquet this winter we were busy for more than a month getting things ready. It took almost as much preparation back in November when we put on the Veterans Day program. And the same kind of pre-work and during-work was required with our chapter involvement in both the Ashland County and Loudonville Fair.

“For instance,” he added, “at the Ashland Fair myself and two other officers spent hours putting together our chapter display up there.”

Portz was preceded as president by his first cousin, Grant Portz, and is being succeeded by junior Linde Hahn.

“While we have an officers' retreat at the close of school, we really don’t receive any training in the job by our predecessors, or provide any for the persons who follow. You pretty much learn the job by doing it,” Portz said.

Was Loudonville FFA chapter historian as a sophomore and treasurer as a junior

In addition to his service as president, Portz served as the chapter historian as a sophomore and treasurer as a junior.

“As historian, I earned a gold medal, reflecting a perfect score, for my chapter scrapbook, and as treasurer, a silver medal for my work,” he said. “I have also participated in some FFA competitions, including soils and meat judging, and I have been one of the top sellers in our chapter’s two fundraisers, our fruit sales in the fall and strawberry sales in the spring.”

Was all this work worth it?

“Yes,” answered Portz. “Through the experience I have learned how to work hard, and how to work with others, both valuable lessons.”

The son of Jason and Missy Portz of rural Loudonville, Portz has worked on things other than FFA as well. He works a lot on the family farm, including helping with the maple syrup operation, and he works in the canoe livery offices at Mohican Adventures.

Career wise, Portz is taking a move away from farming, planning to study nursing at North Central State College, and he has taken 15 credit hours worth of College Credit Plus classes which puts him a step ahead. All those credits transfer to NCSC.

He said his interest in nursing started when he was in the eighth grade. The program at NCSC can run two or three years and end up with a Registered Nurse degree.

In addition to FFA, Portz is an excellent student, carrying a 3.82 grade point average, and he is a member of the Leo Club, National Honor Society and yearbook staff. He showed both pigs and dairy cattle for the Loudonville Livestock Club, and was active in 4H.

Asked what his favorite subject was at LHS, he quickly answered French.

He has an older brother, Nolan Portz.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: THIS WEEK'S PERSONALITY: Portz holds FFA offices for three years