The fifth cohort of the AgriLife Advanced Leadership Program began February 2018, and will complete in January of 2020.
Cohort V: Biographies
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Texas A&M AgriLife Research
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Texas A&M Forest Service
Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory
Prairie View A&M University
Cohort V: Sessions
Program Orientation/Induction and Welcome Dinner
Meeting I: Setting the Course
College Station, TX (April 16-19, 2018) – Cohort V met at the Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) Building for workshops, presentations and a tour of the TFS Emergency Operations Center. Three days of meetings kicked off with a networking dinner, welcoming remarks and a presentation from Dr. Susan Ballabina, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Texas A&M AgriLife
- Session Agenda
- Advocacy Presentation, Texas A&M Forest Service (Ms. Melanie Karns and Ms. Gretchen Riley)
Meeting II: Leadership Cornerstones
Beaumont, TX (September 24-27, 2018) – The second meeting for Cohort V was held in Beaumont at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center. Cohort V began their meeting with a Monday evening networking dinner. Dr. Ted Wilson, Center Director and Dr. Omar Samonte, Associate Professor in Hybrid Rice Breeding were the guest speakers. The Arbinger Institute’s two day presentation addressed the competency, Establishing Vision, Ethics and Integrity. Other program items included Shadowing Reports, Part I; presentations by personnel from the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center. A second competency, Developing a Professional and Personal Leadership Plan, was also addressed with presentations on Leadership in Action. A Murder Mystery event contributed to a third competency, “Building Relationships and Interpersonal Skills”.
- Session II Agenda
- Advocacy Presentation, Texas A&M AgriLife Research (Melissa Berquist, Allen Berthold, Lucas Gregory, Juan Enciso, John Jifon and, Lee Tarpley)
- Book Review: Leadership and Self Deception, The Arbinger Institute (Craig Coufal, Gretchen Riley and, Dan Roelke)
Meeting III: Leadership Cornerstones
College Station, TX (January 7 & 9-11, 2019) – This Leadership Cornerstones session was the third meeting of the AgriLife Advanced Leadership Program, Cohort V. The meeting coincided with the 2019 Texas A&M AgriLife Conference. Cohort members, together with AgriLife Leadership, had an opportunity to host the Conference Keynote Speaker, Dr. Joshua Akey, Director of the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, for lunch. A visit and Q&A with Dr. Patrick Stover and Chancellor John Sharp also occurred during the luncheon. Cohort meeting competencies focused on Solving Problems Creatively, Building Relationships and Interpersonal Skills, Valuing Diversity as well as Developing a Professional and Personal Leadership Plan. Dr. Bruce Akey welcomed Cohort V to Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL), followed by TVMDL’s Advocacy Presentation and a tour of the facility. Book Review focused on “The Truth About Leadership: The No-Fads, Heart of the Matter Facts You Need to Know” and the cohort received confirmation of their host selection for their Shadowing Assignment, Part II. Following suggestions from cohort alumni Cohort V was given the opportunity to create their own Capstone Assignment which was confirmed by Executive at this meeting.
- Session III Agenda
- Advocacy Presentation, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (Cat Barr)
- Book Review: The Truth About Leadership: The No-Fads, Heart of the Matter Facts You Need to Know (Lee Tarpley, Melanie Karns, Steve Hague)
Meeting IV: External Relations
Austin, TX (March 25-28, 2019) – External Relations was the fourth gathering for the AgriLife Advanced Leadership Program, Cohort V. The three day program competencies were Managing Power and Influence, Strategies for Professional Communication and Developing a Professional and Personal Leadership Plan. The focus of The Leadership Challenge was a presentation “Encourage the Heart” by Dr. Chris Boleman, Executive Director, Agricultural Competitions and Exhibits, Houston Livestock Show. Guest speakers, throughout the meeting, included Ms. Jennifer Sarver on communicating your message, media and advocacy; Chancellor John Sharp; Mr. Tom Boggus, Texas A&M Forest Service; Joe Cox, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Mary Luedeker, Program Director, and Julia Lancaster, Program Coordinator, External Relations, Texas A&M AgriLife. The cohort toured TAMUS Government Relations Office; had dinner with the Austin Interns; heard presentations by Kaleb McLaurin, TX & SW Cattle Raisers Association; Mike Pacheco, Farm Bureau Association; Jamie McWright, President of the Associated Republicans of Texas; John Otto, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of Local Government Relations; and, Stanton Calvert, Special Advisor to the Vice President, TAMU. The meetings ended with a visit to Rebuild Texas Fund hosted by Cristina Cornejo, Program Officer.
- Session IV Agenda
- Advocacy Presentation, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Steve Hague & Dan Roelke)
- Book Review: How to Survive Public Service: Caught Between the Dog and the Fireplug (Melissa Berquist, Brandon Dukes and Juan Enciso)
Meeting V: Leadership Cornerstones
Dallas, TX (August 12 – 15, 2019) – Cohort V gathered in Dallas, TX for the fifth session of the AgriLife Advanced Leadership Program. Over a three day session, the program competencies focused on Establishing Vision, Ethics and Integrity and Developing a Professional and Personal Leadership Plan. The meeting began with a networking meal with Dr. David Lunt, Interim Director, Dallas Center and Dr. Hurley Miller, District Extension Administrator, Dallas. Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center hosted the group and made presentations, gave tours on various program initiatives ongoing at the Center. Book review was ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma’ and advocacy presentation was made by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Shadowing Reports, Part II continued to be presented by the cohort and, focus for The Leadership Challenge was ‘Inspire a Shared Vision’ presented by Mr. Steve Schulze, Executive Committee member. Guest presenter for this meeting was John Krajicek, Executive Professor with TAMU’s MBA Program Office on the topic “Mindfulness, Emotional Intelligence and Stress Reduction”. The meeting concluded on Thursday, with tours of the Master Gardener Demo Gardens at the Dallas District I Commissioners Office; and, Bonton Farms Extension.
- Session V Agenda
- Advocacy Presentation, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service (Craig Coufal, Brandon Dukes, Julie Gardner)
- Book Review: The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Peter Ampim, Cat Barr, Guadalupe Castro, Lucas Gregory)
Meeting VI: Leadership in Action
College Station & Prairie View, TX (October 7-10, 2019) – Leadership in Action was the title of Cohort V’s sixth meeting. The three day program addressed these competencies: Leading Groups Through Conflict and Change; and, Developing a Professional and Personal Leadership Plan. Program started with a networking dinner at The Gardens Pavilion and a presentation by Cady Auckerman, Gardens Director. A full day with guest speaker, Merna Jacobsen on the topic of Leading Groups Through Conflict and Change followed with the Cohort’s Book Review of ‘Break the Wheel’ and their final Shadowing Report Presentations, Part II. A tour and visit to Prairie View A&M University included hands on activities, advocacy presentation and a special luncheon themed ‘A Taste of Latin American Heritage’. The Leadership Challenge presentation focused on ‘Enable Others to Act’. Cohort V presented their capstone presentation to Texas A&M AgriLife Administrators. The program ended with a CFO panel presentation on ‘Overview of AgriLife Budgets and Financial Operations’.
- Session Agenda
- Advocacy Presentation: Prairie View A&M University (Peter Ampim, Guadalupe Castro)
- Book Review: Break The Wheel (Allen Berthold, Julie Gardner, John Jifon)