MONTEREY, CA - The California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF) is urging industry members to apply for Class 54 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program. Applications are due on April 17 for mid-career growers, farmers, ranchers, horticulturalists, foresters, and/or individuals working in other areas of California’s diverse agriculture industry.

The Ag Leadership Program is considered to be one of the premier leadership development experiences in the United States, a press release noted. Through the program, fellows learn leadership skills that help them expand their impact. More than 1,400 individuals have participated in the program and are now influential leaders and active volunteers in agriculture, communities, government, business, and other areas.

Throughout the intensive 17-month program, fellows are immersed in leadership theory, effective communication, motivation, critical thinking, change management, emotional intelligence, and other skills and tools. Along with individualized leadership development coaching, fellows engage in situations and discussions focused on complex social and cultural issues. They are provided with opportunities to build enhanced critical thinking skills that, combined with a broader perspective, help graduates guide creative solutions throughout their lives.

The program includes approximately 55 days of formal program activities, the release continued. Four partner universities—Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Fresno State, and UC Davis—deliver integrated, comprehensive, and diverse curricula at the seminars. Fellows learn from first-rate educators and subject authorities from many professions and backgrounds. As a valuable extension to the monthly seminars, fellows participate in national and international travel seminars that provide further opportunities to understand interconnected systems and governments, dialogue with policy leaders, and compare and contrast cultural dynamics.

For links to the application, informational resources, and upcoming prospective applicant events, click here.

And stay tuned for more industry opportunities like this.