The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service has announced the new class of LeadAR participants.
Now in its 19th class, LeadAR is a two-year program that trains community leaders on the issues and challenges facing the state and how to address them. The Cooperative Extension Service selects a new class every other year.
For this class, there are 22 participants who will attend two-day seminars every other month in different Arkansas communities and regions, meeting with leaders and learning about issues facing the state. At the end of the program, the participants will engage in an international study tour to learn more about international conditions and their impact on Arkansas.
âOur overall goal is to equip emerging leaders with knowledge and skills they need to make a difference in their communities or organization,â Julie Robinson, LeadAR director, said in a statement. âThey will learn about issues affecting rural and urban areas of Arkansans and how the state is interwoven, and they will walk away equipped with the tools necessary to catalyze change using strategies that are equitable, empowering, and sustainable.â
The new class of LeadAR candidates includes:
- Srinivasa Bande, president, Sai Strategic Solutions, Inc., Little Rock
- Scott Bass, response and recovery director, Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, North Little Rock
- Jesse Bocksnick, Arkansas 4-H Outdoor Skills instructor, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, Little Rock
- Diane Bowman, Lee County Circuit Clerk, Marianna
- Barrett Breeding, controller, Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Little Rock
- Karyn Coleman, chief of staff, Democratic Party of Arkansas, Little Rock
- Tyler Davis, market president, Diamond Bank
- Shelby Fiegel, director of the Center for Community and Economic Development, University of Central Arkansas, Conway
- Courtney Fisher, director of student services, Arkansas Northeastern College, Blytheville
- Stacey Gorman, director of communications, The Cotton Board, Memphis
- Michal Harris, coordinator of entrepreneurial studies, Shorter College, North Little Rock
- Tiffany Henry, rural director, Conductor, Conway
- Susan Koehler, manager, NWA Land Trust and Benton County Fair, Gravette
- Mark Lambert, director, Commodity Activities and Economics, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, Little Rock
- Amanda Lance, director of Hempstead Hall and Workforce Development, University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana, Hope
- Krista Patrick, business consultant/digital media strategist, K Renee Consulting, Fayetteville
- Brigit Rollins, staff attorney, National Agricultural Law Center, Fayetteville
- Brittany Schmidt, county executive director, USDA Farm Service Agency, Walnut Ridge
- Brian See, Marion County staff chair, UA System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, Yellville
- Jennifer Terry, registered nurse and certified case manager, self-employed, Fort Smith
- Hazelle Whited, executive director, Spring River Innovation Hub, Cherokee Village
- Laura Wiles, Perry County election coordinator, Perryville
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Image courtesy of University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture