TOPEKA, Kan. — The selection committee for the Tomorrow’s Agribusiness Leaders (TAL) program met in early-December to review applications and select five members of the Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association (KARA) and five members of the Kansas Grain and Feed Association (KGFA) to comprise the 27th class of agribusiness’ premier leadership development course.
The selection committee of TAL alumni chose: Justin Aude (Farm Credit Services of America); Byron Bina (MKC); Bryant Blank (Lockton Companies); Jordan Burris (Cornerstone Ag, LLC); Casey Carlson (Producer Ag, LLC); Courtney Crawford (ProValue Insurance); Jeff Krehbiel (Kanza Cooperative Association); John O’Leary (Pride Ag Resources); Sarah Shepherd (ADM) and Rilee Spresser (Hi-Plains Cooperative Association) to complete the 27th class.
“I want to offer my sincerest congratulations to our newest members of the TAL program,” KARA and KGFA President and CEO Ron Seeber said. “We’ve been coordinating TAL for nearly 30 years and have seen more than 200 individuals graduate from the program with a renewed, or brand-new, understanding on how important it is for our membership to advocate for agribusiness. We can’t wait to meet our newest participants and get started in January.”
Each class participates in three sessions designed to improve the leadership skills of Kansas agribusiness men and women through increasing their understanding of the association’s mission and activities, teaching the state and federal legislative process, improving leadership and communication skills, and preparing members for possible public service through campaigns or public office.
About Kansas Grain and Feed Association
Founded in 1896, the Topeka-based Kansas Grain and Feed Association (KGFA) is a voluntary non-profit, trade organization providing governmental representation, educational opportunities and a wide variety of other services to the vast and indispensable grain and feed marketing system. KGFA’s 900 members include country elevators, subterminal and terminal elevators, feed manufacturers, flour mills, grain merchandisers and allied industries such as grain exchanges, equipment manufacturers, insurance firms and railroads. KGFA is proud to represent 99 percent of the federal or state licensed grain storage in the state of Kansas. In addition, KGFA also manages the Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, Renew Kansas, and provides association management and lobbying services to a number of other clients.
About Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association
Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association is a volunteer organization whose membership includes more than 700 agribusiness firms. These firms are primarily retail facilities supplying fertilizers, crop protection chemicals, seed, petroleum products and agronomic expertise to Kansas farmers. KARA’s membership base also includes ag-chemical and equipment manufacturing firms, distribution firms and various other businesses associated with the retail crop production industry.
— Kansas Grain and Feed Association
