Illinois Ag Leadership Class chosen

Twenty-Six individuals have been selected to be fellows in the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation (IALF) Class of 2025.

This will be the 21st class in the organization’s 41-year history, and participants were selected following a competitive application and interview process. The class represents a diverse mix of agricultural expertise – a unique characteristic of the IALF program. 3 three members work hands-on at a farm each year, along with representatives of multinational agricultural companies such as Nutrien, Purina, Corteva, Compeer, Farm Credit Illinois, Beck’s, and Wyffel’s.

Also represented are employees of Prairie Farms Dairy, GROWMARK, Ag Reliant, Illinois Soybean Association, Northern Grain Marketing, Illinois Farm Bureau County Farm Bureau Manager, golf course, school district, Illinois Stewardship Alliance, American Farmland Trust, and others.

“This class will have membership from across Illinois and represents a broad spectrum of food and agriculture interests,” said Todd Lowery, IALF President & CEO.” The class will be comprised of fourteen men and thirteen women. “We’re pleased to have a growing list of women apply each cycle and to further our goal of a diverse cohort,” Lowery said.

Beginning in August 2023, the Class of 2025 will experience 15 seminars over 19 months to build the skills, knowledge, and character to be global leaders in agriculture.

The IALF has graduated more than 570 leaders since its founding in 1982 and those alums include two former Presidents of the Illinois Farm Bureau, a former CEO and Chair of the Farm Credit Administration in Washington, D.C., the first woman to be Illinois Director of Agriculture, the past Presidents of the American Soybean Association and National Pork Producers Council, and global leaders in agribusiness.

“As the global food and agriculture sectors continue to see new companies and entities operating in this space, we hope to provide the Class of 2025 with exposure to exciting leadership development opportunities locally, nationally, and internationally,” Lowery said. We are in the process of enhancing our connectivity to a wide range of people and companies that influence our daily lives to ensure our participants gain significant insights and knowledge to grow their leadership capabilities.”

The following individuals have been selected for the Class of 2025: Amanda Montgomery, Kirkland; Angelica Carmen, Lockport; Angi Carter, DeWitt; Brad Suhling, Edwardsville; Brett Dienst, Maple Park; Brian Koster, Bloomington; Brock Hunt, Chicago; Bryan Rader, Yorkville; Buck Hill, Grand Ridge; Cody Melle, Deerfield; David Kubik, Willowbrook; Ethan Plote, Leland; Heather Dollinger, Mazon; Jean Brokish, Mahomet; Jessica Biernacki, Tinley Park; Jill Carlson, Geneseo; Joshua Allen, Sherman; Jossua Torres, Lake Villa; Kristin Iverson, Charleston; Lauren Doeling, West Salem; Liz Rupel, Springfield; Macy Marek, Quincy; Matthew Hulsizer, Galesburg; Nicole Postin, Alexis; Taylor Zimmer, Delevan; Timothy Hartman, Fairbury.

The Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program is a comprehensive education series that develops knowledgeable and effective leaders to become policy and decision-makers for the agricultural industry. The program is funded by the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation, a 501-c-3 non-profit organization comprised of individuals, companies, organizations, and institutional partners.

Program participants are selected from diverse backgrounds in Illinois agriculture, and program graduates have attained the highest-level positions in commodity organizations and the nation’s leading agribusiness corporations.

For more information on the program or foundation, please contact IALF at (309) 837-7711 or visit www.agleadership.org.