One of the original Ag Leadership Programs in the US has identified a new set of leaders to train over the next eighteen months. The Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program, established as the result of a grant from the Kellogg Foundation in 1981, has graduated twenty classes since it’s inception.
The program can claim graduates who have served or are serving in State and National Farm and Ranch Leadership roles- multiple State Secretaries of Agriculture- as well as members of the Oklahoma State Legislature. The most recent class, Class XX had the dubious honor of being the longest active class because of having their learning extended because of COVID. They ended what turned out to be a three year experience this spring- graduating after a Capstone travel experience to Israel earlier in 2023(the group pictured above).
The Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program assists potential leaders to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and of people. This includes personal and group study and interaction, improving skills in communications, and developing a commitment to future leadership roles in Oklahoma agriculture.
The Advisory Council for the Ag Leadership Program recommended Oklahoma State University that Class XXI be formed and established- and Executive Director Dr. Edmond Bonjour has just announced that “After several weeks of reviewing applications and conducting interviews, we have selected the new class. I am excited to begin working with this group of leaders in August!”
The 27 members of OALP Class XXI are:
Emily Ague – Minco
Joseph Beck – Edmond
Rashele Blakely-Lundy – Bristow
Casey Citty – Haworth
Jessica Dilbeck – Stillwater
Jack Drummond – Barnsdall
Jessica Dunlap – Tuttle
Bo Elam – Newkirk
Jason Frantz – Balko
Annie Jo Gilbert – Piedmont
Mandy Gross – Stillwater
Taylor Harting – Altus
Jennifer Hernandez – Alex
Jeff Jaronek – Corn
JJ Jones – Roff
McKinzie Koons – Columbus, KS
Jolyn Long – Fort Supply
Nicholas Marlow – Kingfisher
Laici Neumann – Ringwood
Dixon Palmer – Anadarko
Callie Prochaska – Glencoe
Trev Schoenhals – Enid
Dillon Travis – Maramec
Ashley Tucker Randolph – Enid
Carson Vinyard – Altus
Vanessa Wiebe – Yukon
Katie Wilkinson – Ada
Class XXI will be engaged in a total of thirteen seminars from August 2023 through the spring of 2025- including a seminar that will take them to Washington, DC as well as a International Travel Experience to a destination still to be determined in the early days of 2025. They will be exposed to the wide variety of enterprises that make up Oklahoma Agriculture- and will interact with some of the sharpest minds in Oklahoma and US Agriculture.
The Program is a joint public/private venture between Oklahoma State University’s DASNR and the agricultural community in Oklahoma. Funding over the years have come from Ag groups, the Noble Foundation, the Oklahoma State Legislature and Grads of the program.
Learn More about the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program by clicking here to jump to their online website.
