ITHACA, N.Y. — LEAD New York is pleased to announce that the 28 members of its 18th class have successfully completed the “Leadership Fundamentals” portion of the training program. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the first year of the program certainly didn’t end the way any of us had anticipated. Because we were not able to hold our final, in-person seminar in Corning this past week, we covered some material via Zoom, and other content will be covered later in the summer. None of this diminishes the fact that we should recognize and congratulate the class members for all that they achieved during the previous year.
“This first year of the program focuses on leadership skill development, heightened self-awareness, improved understanding of the food, agriculture and natural resource sectors in New York State, and building a team of aspiring leaders that will support each other on their development journey” said Larry Van De Valk, Executive Director of the program. “In the second year, we turn our attention outward, spending less time on skill development and more time on issues awareness, critical thinking, and developing a global perspective. The current crisis will certainly provide much for us to discuss about food systems, community, and leadership” he continued.
LEAD New York is a leadership development program for adult professionals in the food, agriculture and natural resource sectors. It consists of seminars, workshops, and field travel experiences both in and out of New York State, including an international study trip. The program focuses on leadership skill development, enhanced self-awareness, civic engagement, a greater understanding of issues facing our food system and rural communities, and cultivating leadership networks. Currently, there are over 500 LEAD New York alumni serving in leadership positions in private business, local, state and federal government positions, not-for-profit organizations, and educational institutions.
For more information, contact Larry Van De Valk, Director of LEAD New York at 607-255-7907 or at ljv4@cornell.edu. Additional information is also available on the LEAD New York website at www.leadny.org.
— LEAD New York
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