The Nebraska LEAD Program honored the 30 Fellows of Class 43 during the Nebraska Agricultural Leadership Council’s Annual Recognition Banquet, held Friday, March 13, on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus. Hosted in partnership with UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the banquet celebrated the completion of the two-year leadership development program and recognized key supporters who make the program possible.
During the evening, Nebraska LEAD Class 43 Fellows shared insights from their experiences in the program and highlighted key takeaways from their two-year journey. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel provided congratulatory remarks to the class in a prerecorded video that was shown during the event. Additionally, Nebraska LEAD Class 14 was celebrated as 2026 marks 30 years since the cohort graduated from the program.
Later in the evening, Dr. Randy Bertolas was honored with the Nebraska LEAD Alumni Association’s “Allen G. Blezek Friend of LEAD Award” in recognition of his dedication to agricultural leadership in the state. Dr. Bertolas is the chair of the history, politics and geography department at Wayne State College and has spent over 25 years helping coordinate the “Global Perspectives” seminar held each year in Wayne.
“I’m truly proud to have worked alongside this group of emerging leaders in Nebraska” said Kurtis Harms, director of the Nebraska LEAD Program. “Class 43 has shown exceptional leadership promise, and I’m confident they will leave a meaningful and lasting mark on agriculture, Nebraska and beyond.”
Nebraska LEAD 43 Fellows (by hometown) who completed the program at the March 13 recognition banquet are:
CALLAWAY: Lucy Kimball
CARLETON: Troy Kane
DENTON: Payton Schaneman
EDISON: Amy Warner
ERICSON: Neleigh Gehl
FREMONT: Chandler Maly
GOTHENBURG: McKinley Harm
GRETNA: Brennan Costello
HASTINGS: Lily Ziehmer
HAY SPRINGS: Austin Weyers
HOWELLS: Tyler Morton
HUMPHREY: Eric Wemhoff
KEARNEY: Anthony Finke, Dustin Rohde, Trevor Spath
LINCOLN: Luke Baldridge, Sally Welsh
LONG PINE: Spencer Shifflet
LOUP CITY: Cale Harrington
MONROE: Courtney Nelson
MILFORD: Jared Stauffer
MINATARE: Austin Kniss
MULLEN: Kyle Phillips
NEHAWKA: Sophia Svanda
NORFOLK: Jake Judge
ORD: Ben Edwards
OSCEOLA: Anthony Mestl
SUPERIOR: John Sullivan
WAHOO: Jacobi Swanson
WAYNE: Bobby Reifenrath
As part of their graduation, each Fellow received a digital badge from UNL’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, recognizing their intensive two-year study of agricultural leadership, communication and global perspectives. This micro-credential serves as a formal acknowledgment of their skills and can be shared with employers and professional networks to highlight their leadership development.
With the graduation of Class 43, the Nebraska LEAD Program has over 1,200 alumni that have completed the leadership development experience since its founding more than 40 years ago. These alumni serve in key leadership roles across agriculture, business and policy, furthering the program’s mission of strengthening Nebraska’s agricultural industry and rural communities.
The Nebraska LEAD Program provides participants with in-depth leadership training through 12 in-state seminars, a national study/travel experience, and an international study/travel seminar. For more information, or to request an application for Nebraska LEAD 45 which begins in the fall of 2026, contact the Nebraska LEAD Program online at lead.unl.edu. The application deadline is June 15.
