FBLA

FBLA-PBL

Logo for FBLA-PBL, Inc.
Formation	1940
Type	Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO)
Purpose	To bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs.
Headquarters	FBLA-PBL National Center 1912 Association Drive Reston, Virginia, U.S. 20191-1591
Membership	253,365 (2008)
Official language	English
National Presidents	NieI Patel, FBLA Albert Amaya, PBL Blake Reynolds, FBLA-PBL PD'Jean Buckley, FBLA-PBL
Website	www.fbla-pbl.org www.fbla.org

The Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, or FBLA-PBL (FBLA-ΦΒΛ), is an American career and technical student organization that has its headquarters in Reston, Virginia. Established in 1940, FBLA-PBL is a non-profit organization of high school ("FBLA"), middle school ("Middle Level"), and college ("PBL") students, as well as professional members ("Professional Division"), who primarily help students transition to the business world. FBLA-PBL is the largest student-run organization in the United States of America, with 253,365 members, and one of the largest business-related organizations in the world. Local FBLA-PBL chapters are often connected to their school's business education department, and most advisers are business education teachers. It is one of the top 10 organizations listed by the U.S. Department of Education. FBLA's national charity partner is the March of Dimes, and the March of Dimes provides grants of $1,000 for local chapters and $2,500 for state chapters to promote their goals.

FBLA-PBL was created by Hamden Forkner of Columbia University. Forkner, who also created the Forkner shorthand system, proposed that there should be one national organization to join the business clubs throughout the nation. The name "Future Business Leaders of America" was selected in 1940 and two years later the first chapter was created at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee. In 1958, PBL is founded with the first chapter at the University of Northern Iowa and in 1979 the Alumni Division (now the Professional Division) was founded.

The organization is governed by its Board of Directors, which consists of the CEO, business leaders, state educators, business education teachers, and the three division national presidents.

FBLA-PBL's membership is represented by the FBLA, PBL and Professional Division national officer leadership teams. For FBLA and PBL, the officers are elected by voting delegates at the National Leadership Conference (NLC) and installed during the Awards of Excellence Program.

The Professional Division officers are elected by electronic ballot in the spring of each year. The Professional Division president serves a two-year term.

The FBLA and PBL officer teams consist of a president, secretary, treasurer, parliamentarian, and five vice presidents representing each region.

FBLA-PBL divides the United States in five administrative regions. These regions are Western, Mountain Plains, North Central, Southern, and Eastern.