Twenty-nine agricultural leaders from across the state of Illinois graduated from the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program (IALP) at a ceremony held recently in Chicago.
Class members began the program in the fall of 2010 and experienced 14 seminars over 23 months. Those seminars included Leadership Orientation; Professionalism: Leadership Skills and Opportunities; Pioneer Seminar on Communication Skills: Influencing, Motivating and Inspiring Others; Economics & the Marketplace Sponsored by Richard Ryan; National Ag Policy Sponsored by Kim Morton; Monsanto National Travel Seminar in Washington, DC; Media Relations Seminar; GROWMARK Seminar on Global Challenges & Leadership Opportunities; John Deere Seminar on Business Decision Making; Farm Credit Services Seminar on Innovation & Change; State Government Seminar Sponsored by The Maschhoffs, LLC; International Perspectives Seminar; and Energy Outlook Seminar Sponsored by Martin L. Andreas.
The seminars featured speakers from the education, government and corporate communities. The Foundation has forged relationships with these partners in order to have participants learn from the best in a particular field. Seminar presenters include faculty from the Booth Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago, the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, as well as representatives from corporations like Edelman, Chicago Tribune, Caterpillar and CME Group.
The IALP Class of 2012 also spent one week in China and one week in India as part of an International Travel Seminar. They observed the challenges of moving agricultural products to market, learned of international trade finance, and met with agribusiness professionals in those two diverse countries.
“The extensive and intensive experiences gained by these 29 graduates will prepare them for advancing their leadership service to the U.S. agriculture industry,” said Don Norton, President and CEO of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation, which directs and funds the program. “With the graduation of this, our 15th class, we have added to a network of informed, capable, motivated and highly regarded leaders who are dedicated to helping each other, their communities, their nation, and their industry.”
The IALP Class of 2012 at DQY egg processing facility north of Beijing, China.
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