State Structure

FBLA is supported by the Virginia Department of Education. The state chapter is headed by the state chairman* and the FBLA specialist.

The state Executive Board governs Virginia FBLA and includes the state chairman, the FBLA specialist, the state officers, one adviser of each state officer, and the regional directors. The director of the Virginia Department of Education's Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education is an ex officio member of the Executive Board.

*According to the guidelines of the National Association of Parliamentarians and FBLA Inc., the term chairman is used as a generic term.

Regional Structure

When the state chapter was established, it was organized into four nearly equal geographic regions, each centered around a state college or university. The tremendous growth of Virginia FBLA resulted in the formation of additional regions. The most recent, the 11th region, was formed in 1980. The purposes of the state’s regional structure is to provide opportunities for leadership development and participation in FBLA activities beyond the local chapter level to provide an orderly and approved selection of participants in competitive events at the state level.

Each region has its own bylaws, officers, adviser, and director. The regional adviser is the adviser of the regional president’s chapter, and the director is appointed by the state chairman. Each regional president serves as a vice-president of the Virginia State Chapter.

Local Chapter Structure

A local chapter of Future Business Leaders of America may be established in any school with a Business and Information Technology program. The teachers in the Business and Information Technology department serve as chapter advisers. FBLA is a co-curricular organization, and its activities are an integral part of the instructional program.

The local chapter, operating under a charter granted by FBLA Inc. conducts activities within the framework of the state and national organizations. To ensure that all students benefit from FBLA activities, a local chapter may be organized into mini- or subchapters. These mini-chapters may be organized by special interest groups or by periods of the school day.