Effective leadership program in New York includes ag reps

The Empire State Food and Agricultural Leadership Institute (LEAD) New York Program is pleased to share the roster of our Class 18 Fellows (below).

“Our current situation has made one thing abundantly clear: Effective leadership for our food system is more important now than it ever has been. Fortunately, our class members and alumni are stepping up to serve in a multitude of leadership capacities during this crisis, and we have a strong cohort of LEAD Fellows that will continue to develop their leadership capacity in the coming year” said Larry Van De Valk, executive director of the program.

“Class 18 had a very successful first year, developing leadership skills and learning about the food, agriculture and natural resource sectors in New York state,” De Valk said. “Next, our Fellows will turn their attention beyond our borders, learning more about national and international political issues, trade, and global food systems. The ability to ‘think globally and act locally’ will be increasingly important as these leaders help us recover from our current challenges.”

Name	Employer
Emma Andrew-Swarthout	ADA Northeast
Trevor Bathel	CoBank
Whitney Beaman	LI Sustainable Winegrowing/Bedell Cellars
David Bittner	Bittner Singer Orchards
Mark Bordeau	Broome Tioga BOCES
Renee Ciardi	NYFB
Jessica Decker	Bonduelle America
Kate Downes	NY FarmNet
Christina Hall	NYCAMH
Leslie Hamilton	Triple H Farms
James Harris	Wagner Hardwoods
Lucas Irwin	CaroVail, Inc.
John Kelder	Kelder’s Farm
Richard Kimmich	DFA Financing
Jerome Kingston	Seneca Foods
Samantha Levy	American Farmland Trust
Heather Meehan	East End Food Institute
Kathleen Noble Wolfley	Blimling & Assoc.
Mathew Pinckney	Helena Agri-Enterprises
Nolan Reeves	Reeves Farms
Adam Seybolt	Stewart’s Shops
Martin Slade	AHDC, Cornell U.
Matthew Toussaint	Toussaint Farms
Kimberly Trombly	NYFB
Chad Wall	NYSDAM
Matt Wells	NY Apple Sales
Hannah Worden	ABS Global

LEAD New York is a leadership development program for adult professionals in the food, agriculture and natural resource industries.  It consists of seminars, workshops, and field travel experiences both in and out of New York State, including an international study trip.  The second year of the program focuses on national and international issues analysis, critical thinking, developing a “world view” and refining each member’s leadership philosophy.

Recruitment for the 19th class will begin this fall, and applications will be available in January. Applications will be due by March 1, 2021. For more information, contact Larry Van De Valk, Executive Director of LEAD New York at 607-255-7907 or at ljv4@cornell.edu.

Additional information is also available on the LEAD New York website at www.leadny.org.