Leland Strom selected as CEO and President of Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation
Leland Strom, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation.
The board of directors of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation (IALF) is pleased to announce that Leland Strom of Elgin, Illinois has been selected to lead the organization as its Chief Executive Officer and President, effective November 1, 2017. In this capacity, Lee will be responsible for providing overall supervision of the IALF and its leadership program. The program is developed and executed by a staff of four, including the CEO, who are responsible for development, education, alumni and external relations. Thirty individuals, including producers and agribusiness associates, participate in a 19-month leadership development program funded by the foundation and its investors.
Dan Kelley, Chairman of the Foundation board, stated “Lee Strom brings a wealth of experience in the agriculture industry to his new position with the foundation and the leadership program.” He was involved with various aspects of the nation’s Farm Credit System before being nominated by President George W. Bush to become Chairman and CEO of the Farm Credit Administration in Washington, DC. He served on the FCA Board from December 2006 to March 2015. His recent role as Chief Executive Officer of FARM Illinois has provided Lee an opportunity to interact with key members of the food and agriculture industry, along with business, government, and civic leaders throughout Illinois and we are pleased that he will remain involved as an active member of the FARM Illinois board. This experience, coupled with the fact that Lee is a graduate of the IALF class of 1988 gives the board a high level of confidence in continuing a tradition as a premier agricultural leadership program.”
“It is a great honor for me to join the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation in this capacity,” Lee said in a statement. “I was a participant in the Class of 1988 and a beneficiary of the program’s rich history of preparing leaders to meet the challenges facing the global food and agriculture sectors. I look forward to working with the IALF Board of Directors and its extensive support network to help raise the bar in Illinois’ quest to lead the world in meeting the challenges of the 21st Century”.
The Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation was founded in 1981 to develop knowledgeable and effective leaders to become policy and decision makers for the agricultural industry. The program provides participants an opportunity to interact with key decision makers in the industry, as well as local, state, and national government and includes an international experience during 15 seminars over 19 months.
