Another milestone has been reached as AgrIInstitute honors the 14th class of the Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program (ALP) recently completing the two year leadership development program. Thirty men and women from throughout Indiana represented agriculture’s diverse industry and concluded their program in Indianapolis on April 21, 2012.
The members of the class included:
Tony Aaron, attorney at IceMiller, Indianapolis
Matt Bechdol, principal at GeoSilos, Auburn
Leah Beyer, contract consultant with Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Flat Rock
Kyle Bymaster, director of development, College of Agriculture, Purdue University, New Richmond
Tamara Choat, feedlot and ranch owner, Terry Montana
Danna Dolliver, assistant agriculture manager with Red Gold, Inc, Alexandria
Bradley Farrer, commodity broker with Risk Management Commodities, West Lafayette
Ana Hernández, senior farm manager with Perdue Farms, Inc., Thorntown
Matt Hill, marketing associate with Elanco Animal Health, Fishers
Raylee Honeycutt, marketing coordinator with CountryMark, Indianapolis
Greg Janzow, vice president and general manager, Wayne Dairy Products, Richmond
Tim Keller, product manager for corn and soybeans with Dow AgroSciences, Indianapolis
Marietta Kendall, program specialist with USDA Farm Services Agency, Indianapolis
Bruce Kettler, director public relations with Beck’s Superior Hybrids, Westfield
Greg Kneubuhler, president of G & K Concepts, Inc., Harlan
Trenton Lindenman, product development agronomist, Dow AgroSciences, Fowler
Tiffany Obrecht, account executive with McCormick Company, Indianapolis
Don Ratliff, vice president of operations with Maple Leaf Farms, Syracuse
Sarah Simpson, director agricultural policy with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Carmel
Tom Sloma, Jr., assistant vice president of crop insurance with Farm Credit Services of Mid-America, South Bend
Scott Strickland, group manager of the Western Ohio Valley Region of Consolidated Gran and Barge Company, Mount Vernon
Andy Tauer, director of livestock with the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Monrovia
Kyle Tom, production manager with Tom Farms, Warsaw
Kevin Underwood, owner of Underwood Farms, Inc, West Lafayette
Walter Valiant, production manager with Grain Processing Corporation, Montgomery
Jennifer Vandeburg, assistant professor and agricultural program chair with Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo, Walton
Sarah Weibert, vice president of agriculture and commercial banking with State Bank of Lizton, Indianapolis
Bryan Whistler, regional manager with Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc., Salem
Eugene Whitehead, owner of Seldom Rest Farms, Muncie
Lucy Whitehead, program manager of National FFA Alumni Association, Indianapolis
The class members attended twelve sessions, beginning in July, 2010 that focused on various areas of public policy and leadership skill development. Ten of the sessions were three days in length and held in different areas of the state. The class spent one week studying in Washington DC gaining important knowledge and skills in participating in the federal policy decision process. Finally, the class spent nearly two weeks studying in India to acquire understanding of Indiana and US agriculture’s role in a global economy.
These thirty individuals join the growing network of over 350 who have participated in the Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program since its beginning in 1984.
“These are individuals who are committed to advancing agriculture through their leadership service in their respective businesses, communities and at state and national levels,” explains Beth Archer, AgrIInstitute’s executive director. “The investment made in this program is paying big dividends as we look throughout agriculture not only here in Indiana but across the states and into Washington DC. We have graduates of this program now serving each of Indiana’s agricultural organizations and others who have taken their leadership service beyond our state’s borders. This is a powerful network that is truly making a difference for agriculture.”
The total value of the program is approximately $15,000 per person for the two years of training. Participants in the Indiana Agricultural Leadership program pay a tuition fee that represents approximately 25% of the total cost of participation. Financial contributions to AgrIInstitute by individuals and business and industry make up the difference.
“We truly value our donors,” says Brian Buchanan, AgrIInstitute board of director chairman. “It is their investment that ensures we can continue to build this important leadership capacity for long into the future.”
Source: AgrIInstitute
The AgrIInstitute is a leadership development and people-capacity building organization that facilitates a robust network of agricultural and rural leaders in Indiana. AgrIInstitute provides a fertile environment for cultivating leaders to serve agriculture and rural communities. Learn more at www.agriinstitute.org.