Leadership Development Seminars Effective Leaders. Today and Tomorrow. WASHINGTON AGRICULTURE & FORESTRY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM 9211 East Mission, Suite J Spokane Valley, WA 99206 509-926-9113 509-926-6993 fax www.agforestry.org
MISSION STATEMENT: We are a leadership development organization dedicated to advancing the natural resource industries through enhanced understanding, education and empowerment of future leaders. VISION STATEMENT: To be Washington s premier service provider of leadership training and networking to support healthy natural resource industries. Nearly three decades ago a group of far-sighted citizens, concerned about the future of agriculture, forestry, and fishing and the quality of rural living in Washington, formed the Washington Agriculture and Forestry Education Foundation. The founders were concerned about the wide gap of communication and understanding between urban and rural interests. They saw a necessity for the state s future leaders to become familiar with international markets. They also saw that while there is diversity in products, the economic, social, and political interests of all natural resource groups are similar. It is natural and important that these similarities should build bonds among the groups. The Washington Agriculture and Forestry Education Foundation provides a vehicle for identifying emerging leaders and helping to prepare these men and women for the task ahead. The foundation s training is not a course in farming, fisheries, or forestry. It is aimed at developing well-rounded people, skilled in communication, educated in national and world affairs, and familiar with the changing needs of our society leaders who understand not only these occupations but also the need to be prepared to deal with the complicated issues of business, economics, and government that increasingly impact the natural resources industries and rural communities. The program consists of a series of seminars held across the state in partnership with businesses and institutions of higher learning.
Seminar 1: Leadership, Communication, and Vision Washington State University, Pullman an orientation for the participants to the program, the foundation, and each other. Each class member is given the opportunity to find out more about his/her personal style and be introduced to one another. An introduction to public policy projects, the essentials of leadership, and various aspects of communication are featured in the seminar. Seminar 2: Group Dynamics and Public Speaking Wenatchee five minute persuasive speeches are the keynote of this seminar. Each participant comes to the seminar with a prepared five minute persuasive speech to deliver to an assessment panel and to members of the class. The speech is recorded on videotape for classroom critique. The concept of group dynamics is presented with emphasis on the dynamics that will be in place during the public policy projects and in political and community-based situations. Seminar 3: Working with the Media Farm Credit Services, Spokane each participant has an opportunity to do a mock radio and television interview. The interviewers show what can happen in an unguarded moment, so the phrases be prepared and practice, practice, practice have real meaning. An introduction to all forms of media is presented and a trip to a television station during an actual news broadcast is featured. Presentations by reporters, interviewers, producers, and interviewees give practical advice and real life information. Participants learn what makes a good story and how to get their point across in less than ideal conditions. Seminar 4: Social Issues Tacoma the first seminar to which spouses are invited. Social, political, and cultural public problems are reviewed from a liberal arts perspective. Issues such as poverty and urban crime are considered. Social problems and one city s attempts to deal with them are presented to participants a half day field trip is scheduled for the class to travel to half-way houses, homeless shelters, shelters, food banks and the Tacoma Urban League. Seminar 5: State Government Washington Forest Protection Association, Olympia participants are given the opportunity to see the inside track on legislative decision making. A meeting with the governor and presentations by agency heads, legislative leaders, justices, and lobbyists give class members a well-rounded look at the state legislative process. A breakfast meeting with their legislator enhances the personal relationship phase of learning. Seminar 6: National Government Washington D.C. - Seven-day long seminar devoted to a study of national legislative issues. Representatives from governmental departments, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Community Delegation, and businesses doing business in Washington D.C. speak to the class and answer their questions. Legislative representatives and their staffers meet with the class as well. This week-long interaction provides a well-rounded look at the workings of the national governmental process. One free day in Washington D.C. is included in the schedule so the participant has a chance to visit the historical and cultural elements of the city.
Seminar 7: Forestry Issues Hosted by Forestry Companies in Shelton, Longview and Colville - tours of woodlands, seed orchards, lumber mills, and nursery operations are included in the agenda. Forestry leaders give perspectives on the best management procedures for timber lands. The impacts of international issues are discussed. The public policy groups give a mini-presentation on their projects. Seminar 8: Agricultural Issues Yakima, Moses Lake and the Tri-Cities issues important to agriculture are featured. Water, labor, and crop protection are discussed. A day-long field trip is scheduled to area farms and food processing plants. An evening function is held at one of the area wineries. AgForestry grads who have farming operations host class participants to a home stay experience where they have first-hand knowledge of agriculture in action. Seminar 9: The Columbia River System Vancouver competing water user groups have representatives present their perspective on utilization and allocation of water in the Columbia River. Field trips to a fish hatchery and a dam on the Columbia River are included in the schedule to enable the participants to study water allocation issues in a real world situation. Conflict resolution techniques and examples are presented in the context of the issues discussed. Seminar 10: Crime and Corrections Whitman College, Walla Walla spouses are invited to this seminar. Day one focuses on the philosophy, psychology, and sociology of the corrections system. Day two the class meets the people who actually make the correction system function - presentations are given by a judge, a probation officer, a counselor, a teacher at the penitentiary, corrections officers, and the current superintendent of the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. The last day, a full-day field trip is conducted inside the penitentiary. Seminar 11: Transportation Seattle this seminar focuses on increasing the understanding of transportation issues in Washington State, specifically in the Seattle area including the Port of Seattle s role in transportation and trade. It also brings to light the complexities involved in transporting products and resources to customers and how the geography of Washington State affects the distribution of goods. Here, participants will also prepare for the International Seminar through research, presentation and discussion of the business, economic, social/cultural, political/government, and education/medical aspects of the countries being visited. Seminar 12: Trade, Culture, and Government Because world politics, social issues, and food have become so critical, the international seminar is an invaluable experience. As with the other seminars, the international seminar emphasizes communication, ecology, government, economics, sociology, education, and the arts. The aim of the seminar is to develop articulate statespersons who understand what is going on around them, the sensitivity and differences between a highly developed and a developing nation, social and cultural systems, religion and customs, trade relations, and economic systems. Seminar 13: Public Policy Presentations Energy Northwest, Richland participants give their presentations to a critique panel, reflecting on the dynamics of their group and the project results. Feedback from the critique panel and from fellow class participants give public policy project groups valuable information to use in the future when considering issues affecting their communities or commodity organizations.
Seminar 14: Launching Your Leadership Resources Graduation spouses are invited and encouraged to attend this seminar. The culmination of 18 months of seminar activity begins with a session designed to review and reflect back on each of the previous seminars. Prominent leaders from the state s natural resource industries are scheduled to speak -- to challenge the participants to utilize their AgForestry educational experience to seek and obtain leadership positions. Participants receive their graduation certificates at a large banquet gathering of investors, alumni, family, and friends.