Nebraska LEAD announces 2016-2018 fellows

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Nebraska LEAD announces 2016-2018 fellows

Nebraska LEAD 34 fellows pose with their hosts at the Pioneer-DuPont Agriculture and Nutrition Research Center near Bucharest, Romania.
Nebraska LEAD 34 fellows pose with their hosts at the Pioneer-DuPont Agriculture and Nutrition Research Center near Bucharest, Romania.

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 the 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 higher education institutions throughout the state.

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

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