CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 05/29/19

Advancing Georgia’s Leaders in Agriculture and Forestry selects 2019-2020 leadership class

By Merritt Melancon

Twenty-five professionals, who represent a wide swath of Georgia’s agriculture and natural resource industries, have been chosen to participate in the 2019-2020 class of Advancing Georgia’s Leaders in Agriculture and Forestry (AGL).

Organized by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, the purpose of AGL is to educate and empower Georgia’s agricultural leaders to become effective advocates for the largest economic drivers in Georgia — the state’s agriculture and forestry industries.

“This class was chosen from 78 outstanding nominations,” said Lauren Griffeth, director of AGL. “These individuals represent a broad array of facets in agriculture, forestry and allied sectors and display a commitment to leadership in the field for their career.” 

The AGL program is designed to bring together leaders from all segments of the state’s agriculture, forestry, natural resources and allied industries. Over 16 months, participants will help one another grow through personalized leadership development training geared toward understanding themselves as leaders, analyzing issues facing their industries, and strengthening connections to become catalysts for positive change.

AGL’s 2019-2020 inductees are:

  • Daniel Atkins, area marketing manager, Weyerhaeuser
  • Toby Bowen, account manager, AGCO
  • Jason Bragg, vice president for government relations, Georgia EMC
  • Sam Brown, owner and CEO, Fiddleheads Garden Center
  • Jordan Carter, director of sales and marketing, Leger & Son
  • TR Clark, regional manager, F&W Forest Services
  • Hillery Culpepper, assistant director of development, FFA Foundation
  • Nicole Duvall, program coordinator, Commission for Milk
  • Dusty Engel, corporate precision ag manager, John Deere
  • Chan Flanders, forester, West Fraser
  • Susan Harrell, financial analyst and timberland owner
  • Aaron Hemmer, regional lending manager, AgGeorgia
  • Matthew Hested, executive director of communications and strategy, Georgia Forestry Association
  • Jessica Jarvholhm, event coordinator, PineyWoods Farm
  • Ben Lancaster, sales manager, International Forest Company
  • Jason Little, director of valuation services, Forest Resource Consultants
  • David Martin, president and CEO, Widget Development
  • Samantha McLeod, executive director, Georgia Pecan Growers Association
  • Frances Mitchell, field sales representative, Bayer
  • Arren Moses, farmer, Edward Moses Farms
  • Sarah Nerswick, agriculture education teacher and FFA advisor, Cambridge High School
  • Erin Nessmith, Young Farmer and Rancher Program coordinator, Georgia Farm Bureau
  • Blake Poole, middle Georgia field representative, Office of Governor Brian Kemp
  • Eric Simpson, farmer and co-op organizer, West Georgia Farmer’s Cooperative
  • Keaton Walker, marketing and sponsorship director, Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter

In 1991, community and state leaders started participating in the original, agriculture-based leadership development program known as “Agri-Leaders,” which was sponsored by the Georgia Agri-Leaders Forum Foundation. Since that time, 399 Georgia business leaders, farmers, foresters, educators and other stakeholders have completed the program and become more effective leaders and advocates.

Through AGL, participants will complete five in-state institutes, an advocacy institute in Washington, D.C., and an optional international experience in Chile. This will be the fourth class of AGL participants to experience transformational leadership development through the UGA program.

Those seeking more information about AGL can visit www.agl.caes.uga.edu.

Merritt Melancon, a public relations manager for the UGA Terry College of Business, previously served as a public relations coordinator for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Extension.

Authors:
Merritt Melancon
Experts/Sources:
Lauren Ledbetter Griffeth
Representing a broad cross-section of corporations, businesses and organizations throughout Georgia, 25 professionals have been chosen to participate in the AGL 2019-2020 class.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
Conner Hall CAES News
CAES welcomes 2024 cohort of Rural Scholars 11/20/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences welcomed its fourth cohort of students chosen for the CAES Rural Scholars Program this fall just weeks after celebrating the program's first graduation. Georgia Orman, one of four inaugural Rural Scholars in CAES, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. The new scholars for 2024, all from Georgia, are Ela Ash of Ocilla, Lauren E. Coley of Cochran, Amelia Housley of Canon, and London O’Steen of Ambrose.
Women play a vital role in rural American farming, but much of that work is "invisible," like raising children or household chores, according to a new UGA study. (Getty Images) CAES News
The women and stress behind rural farming in America 11/19/24 Leigh Hataway
Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests the unique stresses from farm life may be taking a toll on one of the pillars of the families that make your dinners possible: the women who keep farming families running. “If we don’t control our food sources, we don’t control our health and safety,” said Anna Scheyett, lead author of the study and a professor in UGA’s School of Social Work. “It’s a matter of national security that farmers survive in the United States. And one of the big factors in helping farms survive is women.”
Mergoum at Creature Comforts CAES News
That's the spirit! 11/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras, Claire Sanders Kinnard
Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Professional brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile.
TiftonCampusSunset2 CAES News
CAES Transfer Pathways Program expands enrollment access for rural students 11/12/24 Emily Cabrera
The Transfer Pathways Program is opening new doors for rural students who dream of attending the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). In partnership with Wiregrass Georgia Technical College and Southern Regional Technical College, students who complete required coursework at these institutions can transfer to CAES to complete bachelor’s degrees in one of three majors — agribusiness, agricultural education, and agriscience and environmental systems. 
Kevan Lamm teaching undergraduate students CAES News
CAES researchers prepare students to address complex challenges of the future 10/29/24 Emily Cabrera
Over the next three years, researchers in the University of Georgia’s Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication aim to transform undergraduate education in agricultural and environmental sciences by integrating systems thinking — an approach that encourages students to see the bigger picture by understanding how different components within a system interact.
Ropes course at Georgia 4-H camp CAES News
Campers create lasting memories of summer at Georgia's 4-H centers 10/07/24 Josie Smith
By the end of his first week at 4-H summer camp, fifth grader Cooper Hardy already had many memories of new and exciting experiences. “That was the first time I got in a canoe,” Hardy said. “It was a big deal for me.” Now, 10 years later, Hardy serves as a Georgia 4-H camp counselor at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Georgia. It’s a dream he’s held since the first time he set foot on the sprawling, wooded 1,500-acre campus as a camper.