August 31, 2016
Lincoln, Neb. — Nebraska LEAD (Leadership Education/Action Development) Group 36 participants have been announced by the program's director, Terry Hejny. The two-year program will begin in September.
The newest members of Nebraska's premier two-year agricultural leadership development program are involved in production agriculture and/or agribusiness in Nebraska.
"Class 36 consists of 30 diamonds in the rough and our job is to polish them up, preparing them for future leadership roles in their community, our state and beyond," Hejny said.
LEAD Fellows will participate in 12 monthly three-day seminars across Nebraska, a 10-day national study/travel seminar and a 14-16 day international study/travel seminar. The goal of the program is to develop problem solvers, decision makers and spokespersons for agriculture and Nebraska.
Seminar themes include leadership assessment and potential, natural resources and energy, leadership through communication, agricultural policy and finance, Nebraska's political process, global perspectives, nuclear energy, social and cultural issues, understanding and developing leadership skills, agribusiness and marketing, information technology, advances in health care, the resources and people of Nebraska's Panhandle and other areas designed to develop leaders through exposure to a broad array of current topics and issues and how they interrelate.
The Nebraska LEAD Program is operated by the nonprofit Nebraska Agricultural Leadership Council, in cooperation with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and 12 other institutions of higher education throughout Nebraska.
Nebraska LEAD 36 Fellows by hometown are:
Arthur: Ty Walker
Broken Bow: Nate Bell
Craig: Johnathan Hladik
Deshler: Ellen Schmidt
Fairfield: Thomas Kluver
Fremont: Andy Langemeier
Gibbon: Shane Bendfeldt, Kimberly Wilkens
Gothenburg: Shane Terrell
Gretna: Kelsey Vala
Hay Springs: Joseph Dorshorst
Holdrege: Chris McQuillan
Johnson Lake: David Rowe
Kearney: Dustin Knuth, Hannah Riddle, Ryan Stien
Kennard: Jennifer Arp
Lexington: Adam Smith
Lincoln: Ben Blomendahl, Nate Blum, Robert Campbell, Nora Turner
Loomis: Justin Trompke
Martell: Alex McKiernan
North Platte: Kyle Shepherd
Omaha: Dustin Smith
Stapleton: Robert Hecox
Sutherland: Shelly Kelly
Trumbull: Scott Bieck
Waverly: Lori Paulsen
Terry Hejny
Nebraska LEAD Program
402-472-6810
thejny1@unl.edu