Timing can be everything and for an Illinois native, timing helped land him one of the most coveted FFA jobs in Oklahoma.

Kingfisher’s board of education Monday night unanimously voted to approve Tyler Gradert as an FFA adviser, completing the staff for the multi-teacher program that was left vacant earlier this spring after the resignations of longtime advisers Ryan and Lori Burns.

The board last month voted to hire Megan Thormodsgard to fill one of the spots.

Gradert, who has been the ag instructor and livestock judging coach at Black Hawk College East Campus in Galva, Ill., for the last three years, recently moved to Oklahoma along with his girlfriend, a recent Oklahoma State graduate who will be working in the state.

That left Gradert searching for a job at the same time Kingfisher was searching for an FFA adviser.

“I really put everything in God’s hands and it all worked out unbelievably well,” said Gradert, who was at Monday’s meeting.

Gradert grew up in Geneseo, Ill., graduating in 2012 before attending Black Hawk College East Campus, where he was a part of the livestock judging team.

Although he was immersed in his family’s diversified livestock and farming operations, his high school’s FFA program didn’t have a big footprint.

“Out of about 200 people I graduated with, maybe 10 to 15 were in FFA,” he said. “So I took it upon myself to get involved in things I was really interested in.”

That included everything from showing livestock to Career and Leadership Development Events (CDE), all things that he feels will benefit him on his new venture.

“That’s one of the reasons I’m excited to get to teach on the high school level, to encourage kids to get out of their comfort zone and try different things,” he said.

Gradert earned an associate’s from Black Hawk followed by a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science from Western Illinois University.

That helped land him back at Black Hawk as an instructor while also helping with Gradert Show Pigs, a family-owned operation.

Gradert himself traveled the country when showing, which is how he met his girlfriend, a Florida native who wound up at OSU. When she took a position with Corteva Agriscience after earning her degree, they decided to relocate to the Sooner State.

Since being offered the position, Gradert has spent several days in Kingfisher meeting students, FFA supporters and familiarizing himself with the facilities.

“You can tell there’s a tradition and a standard here. We’re blessed to have such a welcoming community that shows so much support,” he said. “You don’t have that everywhere.”

It’s that understanding that led Superintendent Jason Sternberger to offer him the position.

“It’s going to take someone with an understanding of what we have, plus a lot of energy and a willingness to learn,” Sternberger said.

“From the time we met Tyler, we felt he was the right fit.”

Gradert and Thormodsgard are also familiarizing themselves with one another, a process that will carry out through the summer before FFA teaching duties are officially split up.

“We’re talking about our strengths and weaknesses,” he said. “And we’ll work with Mr. Sternberger and (high school principal) Mr. (Todd) Overstreet to map that out.”

Gradert has also met the Burnses.

“It’s a blessing to have two individuals who were so successful for so long still be here locally,” he said. “It will be like having mentors right here. I will take in what I can from them.

“They have so much knowledge and wisdom. But Megan and I are also excited to make our own footprint here.”