MANHATTAN, Kan. — The board of directors for Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership, Inc. (KARL) announced that Jill Zimmerman has accepted the president position for the KARL Program.
“Jill’s administrative and fundraising talents along with her passion for agriculture, passion for leadership, and love and respect for KARL bring her to the KARL program,” said board chairman, Jerry McReynolds. “Jill’s skillsets along with strong volunteer leaders are a winning combination for Kansas’ agriculture and rural leadership development program.”
“I am humbled and honored to be selected as the next president of KARL,” Zimmerman said. “It will be exciting to work with the people of Kansas to continue to grow the KARL Program into the premier leadership organization that positively impacts agriculture and our rural communities.”
Zimmerman is deeply rooted in Kansas agriculture having grown up on a diversified farm, graduating from Kansas State University, participating in KARL Class V and working for both K-State Research and Extension and in the Kansas ethanol industry. She will begin her role with KARL on Oct. 1 and in the meantime, will work with interim president, J.J. Jones, to ensure KARL’s strong programming is maintained.
“We were fortunate to have a communication and management professional in J.J. as interim president,” McReynolds said. “He has worked hard on the details of the KARL program, and provided direction for Class XIV.”
Class XIV was announced earlier this summer and begins its two-year experience this fall. Class members demonstrate the breadth and depth of Kansas agriculture and rural communities with their diverse backgrounds, experiences and careers. They will meet regularly across the state, travel to Washington, D.C. and conclude their seminar-series with an international study tour to Cuba in March 2019.
The KARL program is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to developing leaders for agriculture, business and rural communities. More information is online at www.karlprogram.com.
— K-State Research and Extension
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