Louisville, KY (September 5, 2018) – Recruitment for Kentucky Farm Bureau’s (KFB) next group of participants in the two-year, Leadership Enhancement for Agricultural Development (LEAD) program is now underway. Up to 16 individuals will be selected for this intensive learning experience to equip the next generation of agricultural leaders with the tools to manage tomorrow’s challenges.

LEAD is designed for Farm Bureau members between the ages of 25 and 40 who are currently involved in agriculture or a related business and want to increase their leadership effectiveness and involvement in Farm Bureau. Through small group training, participants learn methods to access and process information, analyze and evaluate issues, formulate their own beliefs and articulate them clearly and effectively.

During 2019-20, the LEAD class will participate in six two-day meetings, two Farm Bureau annual meetings, the 2019 Congressional Tour to Washington, D.C., and an out-of-state agricultural tour. Class members will additionally be exposed to formal and informal instruction, group discussion, and challenged to directly apply the knowledge and skills gained through the program. Areas covered over the two-year coursework will include personal and professional development, leadership skills, agriculture technology, the legislative process and Farm Bureau’s role and involvement in lobbying issues affecting agriculture.

Recruitment brochures to nominate someone for the 2019-20 LEAD class can be downloaded from kyfb.com/lead. Participants in the LEAD program may be nominated by anyone, but all nominees must be approved by a county Farm Bureau president. A KFB-appointed selection committee will then review the qualifications of each applicant and determine the final class roster. The participants selected for the next LEAD class will be introduced at the 2018 KFB annual meeting held in Louisville in November.

Since the program’s inception in 1998, 176 men and women from across Kentucky have graduated from LEAD with a better understanding of their need for political involvement, effective communication, personal development and active participation in Farm Bureau activities.