Illinois Soybean Association’s (ISA) LEAD program, which stands for Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Development, has announced its third class of participants.
“We welcome these new and longtime ag leaders to the LEAD program and look forward to engaging with them over the next year,” said Bryan Severs, ISA board chairman and Illinois soybean farmer. “As we look to the future of the soybean industry, building relationships and building leaders are two key pieces to ensuring our continued success.”
LEAD provides tailored opportunities across agriculture for growth, collaboration and impact to aspiring leaders and seasoned experts.
The new LEAD class includes Emma Adkisson and Nicholas Padula, Next Generation 2 Apprentices; Nolan Schott and Zoey Vance, Next Generation 3 Emerging Leaders; Landon Larkin, Kate Halligan, Shelbie Kile and Ashton Bailey, Navigator 1 Contributors; Klayton Hanrahan, Tyler Roth, Lance Muirheid, Harrison Albright, Blake Edwards, Dakota Short, Gretchen Alwardt and Bethany Beeler, Navigator 2 Influencers; Zhanyou Xu and Jay Kindred, Navigator 3 Impact Leaders; Jonathan Griffel, Tyler Deal, Adam McVey and Carl Masters, Ambassador 1 Mentors; Vikkie Becker, Ambassador 2 Advisor; Lin Warfel, Daryl Cates and Stan Born, Ambassador 3 Legacy; and Mark Gebhards, Senior Advisor
The purpose of the LEAD program is to help participants grow as leaders, explore opportunities across agriculture and build relationships that can shape the future. Participants in the program will gain a comprehensive understanding of the soybean supply chain, from seed to consumer, explore the benefits of the soy checkoff and its role in Illinois agriculture and build skills to inspire and mentor future leaders in the industry.
To learn more about ISA’s LEAD program, visit ilsoy.org/lead/.