Eleven agricultural leaders from around Illinois have successfully completed the 2010 Illinois Farm Bureau ® Leadership Academy, held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield, February 24-26.
The IFB Leadership Academy is a biennial training program held for a select group of outstanding county Farm Bureau leaders. Applicants must be nominated by their local County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, and then selected to attend by a panel of three judges.
Participants attended sessions on diverse leadership topics such as ethics, issue management, policy implementation, decision making, and working with elected officials.
The 2010 graduates are listed alphabetically, with home town and county in parentheses.
• Fred Blessing Fairfield (Wayne County)
• Mark Bunnage Ellery (Wayne County)
• Stacey R. Funderburk Morrisonville (Christian County)
• Glenn Gindler Collinsville (Madison County)
• Donna Z. Lehrer Big Rock (Kane County)
• Theodore G. Mottaz Elmwood (Knox County)
• Jamie Schaffer Princeville (Stark County)
• Robert Sharkey Bradford (Bureau County)
• David W. Shupe Toledo (Cumberland County)
• Terry G. Smith Clayton (Adams County)
• Dennis Verbeck Atkinson (Henry County)

"I was really excited by the high level of interest and quality of participants in the inaugural Leadership Academy," said Philip Nelson, Illinois Farm Bureau President. "I'm proud of all the participants and applaud them for their commitment to enhancing their leadership skills," Nelson said.
The next Leadership Academy will take place in 2012.