History
The idea for “raising” a new bumper crop in Illinois – a finely honed harvest of the state’s best and brightest agricultural leaders – established its roots in late 1980. At that time, a group of eleven prominent leaders and educators in the field of agriculture was selected by the agricultural universities in Illinois to attend the “Leadership Development for Rural America” conference in Spokane, Washington, sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Washington State University Cooperative Extension. Here they were exposed to a unique learning concept furthered by the Kellogg Foundation to develop effective rural leadership.
The need for a leadership program for emerging Illinois agricultural professionals was evident. Then, as now, Illinois ranked as one of our nation’s leading agricultural production states. Emerging leaders were dedicated and capable professionals, well versed in the science of agriculture, however, they often they often needed further training in other disciplines such as communication, business, policy development and trade. A model for leadership development was formed that would be managed and funded by the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation.
The IALF, a non-profit educational corporation under Illinois law, receives contributions for the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program. A board of directors, comprised of recognized leaders in agriculture and business, oversees the program. An annual audit is conducted to fulfill fiduciary responsibilities.
Recognizing the need for strong agricultural leadership, the mission statement of the IALP is:
To develop knowledgeable and effective spokespersons to become policy and decision makers for the agricultural industry.
This mission statement is achieved through the following IALP goals:
- to increase and expand participants’ understanding of U.S. and international economic, political, and social systems.
- to enhance the participants’ communication and leadership skills.
- to increase the participants’ ability to make sound decisions on issues which will shape the agricultural community and beyond.