Here's to hoping everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Just looked at my calendar for January, and I'm already getting excited about seeing all of my new friends again :) Hope everyone is having a productive work week and looking forward to an exciting weekend!

Jenni

Session I recap

I am a proud member of the inaugural class of 22 awesome future leaders. We will meet for 52 days over the next two years, including a trip to Washington D.C. and New York, as well as an international trip. Here is a quick recap in pictures of Session I:

This is what happens when someone who trips over flat surfaces gets too close to the bank of the lake while taking pictures—a pair of shoes that had to go right into the trash!

We did plenty of team building:

     

Etiquette training:

 

Learned from great professors and experts:

 

Had a lot of great food and fellowship:

  

Did several personality assessments: (For this day, our spouses joined us and got to do the personality assessments, too. My husband Justin’s was almost the exact opposite of mine, proving that opposites do attract!)

 

And, of course, we spent time in the Classic City {Athens, Georgia} taking in the sights of my new alma mater!

 

I can’t wait for Session II in the coastal southeastern part of the state in January!

Checking In

Hey Everyone,

I have enjoyed reading everyones post as much as I enjoyed meeting everyone of you.  I look forward to the next two years if they are anything like the first session.

See Ya soon,

Jutt

Creating a Network of Agricultural Advocates

For the past week or so, I have been reflecting upon the first session of Class I. The week truly was busy. I'm not sure there is a better word to describe the agenda prior to the session. But it's not just about the agenda. What makes programs like Advancing Georgia's Leaders in Agriculture and Forestry (AGL) successful are the people, how they interact and work together, and what they do with their experience.

Class I consists of 22 individuals from across Georgia (and South Carolina), are representative of the various sectors of the agriculture and forestry industry, range in age from 26 - 53 years, have varying degrees of educational, leadership, and agriculture experience, among a number of other statistics we could list about them. However, what is important to note about Class I is that they are NOT just a group of 22 individuals participating in this class. They have already formed a bond, established relationships, and engaged in a leadership journey as a group. They are a class, a cohort.

The question is, what will Class I do with their AGL experience? I asked this same question of the LEAD New York Class 14 members today while visiting with them in Washington, DC. What will you do with each individual speaker's information, each activities lesson, each tour of a business or facilitity? What will you do with your leadership program experience?

Participating in any leadership program is a gift. It is an experience. The value of that experience is determined by what you do with.

Greatful that our Paths have Crossed

I have just completed my thank you notes for our first session. It reminded me of how thankful I am for being part of AGL, which enabled my path to cross each of yours. It was a great first session. I can't believe that a week is come and gone since then. You don't k now how many times all of your names have come up in casual conversations. I am looking forward to us growing together and for lasting friendships.

By the way: I am one of those who have never "blogged". It can say it’s growing on me.

See you all soon! <3 Rebecca

Back in the office...finally!

Haven't seen my desk since October 5th and just trying to catch up for the rest of the week including fulfilling my obligations to be a good classmate and Blog so here I am!  Those of you that know me know that THIS is outside my comfort zone.

Have had a ton of folks asking me about the Program and showing there in interest in all that we have done and will get to do.  Promise to share more about all that we experience in the coming months, as my publisher says, in a way that only I can do!

Now that you're on the edge of you seat waiting for more, I've got to run...258 emails (81 of which are unread) are waiting for me!!!  Wish me luck and my partner patience!

Shout Out!

Breaking the ICE!

Brent, Chris, Derick, Rebecca, Amanda, Maggie, Mark, Duane, Sherry, Trey, Tate, Jesse, Jutt, Craig, Jon, Steve, Jenni, Sarah, Rock, Tim, Brandon, Kristi, and Doc!

Missing you all..not equally!!

Great frist session.Hope everyone made it home safe!

Session One

Wow, the week went by really fast.  I had a great time meeting new folks, learning from the presenters and being challenged.  I am looking forward to the next session!

Whew, what a first week!

If I were a plant, then the AGL program would be the richest and best soil available, and my cohorts Miracle Grow©... Thank you to EVERYONE who is making this growth possible.

Teambuilding: Swing Shot at Rock Eagle

  

(Sorry for the self portraits! I was too busy having fun to get group shots.)

Day 1 of Session I brought with it a lot of fun teambuilding exercises. Many of us had never met the others before we gathered at Rock Eagle in Eatonton but we quickly made introductions.

Dr. Strickland and Kristi Farner had a great afternoon planned where the class got to break loose and get to know each other while thinking outside of the box through outdoor games. The obvious highlight of the day was when each member was harnessed up, got strung up on a cable, and was hoisted high into the air by a series of pulleys powered by class members. We each agreed to go all the way to the top and when we pulled the rip cord, we swung like a pendulum among cheers, shouts, and encouragement from our classmates.

After the adrenaline-pumping high flying session, we all gathered together to talk about our experience and discuss how trust was crucial in the exercise. We reflected upon the fact that each and every person had a specific task and the person flying had to completely trust that the ground crew that pulled them into the air would hold the rope until just the right time.

Class member introduction: Sarah Cook

Hello! I’m Sarah Cook and I am very proud to be a member of the inaugural class of the AGL program in Georgia.

I am the Special Projects Coordinator at the Georgia Center of Innovation for Agribusiness, a program of of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. The Center of Innovation for Agribusiness provides expertise and connections to help Georgia’s agribusiness industry grow and compete globally by connecting clients directly to key resources, emerging technologies and university research. At the Center, I am responsible for planning major events and I also work with agritourism operations and small food processors.

Personally, I am married to my high school sweetheart, Justin, and we have an 18 month old son, Wyatt. I am graduate of Georgia Southern University with a BBA in Regional Economic Development and I am currently pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Georgia in Agricultural Leadership.

I look forward to sharing my experience in AGL and the opportunity to grow, enhance, and advocate for the agriculture and forestry industries in Georgia.

First 2 Days...

Fantastic start to a two year adventure! From being a human projectile in the "swing shot" and the deep and intimate sharing at Rock Eagle to the initial building of a framework from which to hang all of the learning, I am definitely putting on my seat belt. I'm seriously looking forward to the rest of this session and all of the ones to come.