June 11, 2019
New Class Selected for KARL
Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership, Inc. (KARL) Class XV participants have been announced by the program’s president, Jill Zimmerman. The class was inaugurated at an event June 1 in Lindsborg.
National Geographic photographer, Jim Richardson, provided a program about America’s Heartland to celebrate the inauguration of the new class and the third decade of KARL.
"It certainly appears that KARL Class XV is filled with outstanding individuals from throughout our state, and I am excited for them to begin the program,” said Steve Baccus, Minneapolis, Kansas, who recently assumed duties as chairman of the KARL board of directors. “KARL aims to create leaders who will help ensure the long-term viability of Kansas agriculture, who will think forward, who have the ability to engage and positively influence society, and who can participate in communication networks that enhance agriculture and rural Kansas.”
The class will participate in seminars across Kansas, a national study/travel seminar in Washington, D.C. and a Blue Chip seminar, and conclude in 2021 with an international study/travel seminar to the United Arab Emirates. The goal of the program is to develop problem solvers, decision makers and spokespersons for agriculture and rural Kansas.
Seminar themes include leadership assessment and potential; natural resources and energy; leadership through communication; agricultural policy; international trade and finance; Kansas’ political process; global perspectives; social and cultural issues; understanding and developing leadership skills; agribusiness and marketing; information technology; advances in health care; the resources and people of Kansas and other areas designed to develop leaders through exposure to an array of current topics and issues and how they interrelate.
The newest members of Kansas' premier two-year agricultural and rural leadership development program represent a myriad of professions influential to agriculture and rural communities in Kansas.
KARL Class XV participants by hometown and county are:
- Inman, McPherson County: Kim Baldwin (family farming operation)
- Mound Valley, Labette County: J.J. Bebb (Cornerpost Crop Insurance)
- Lenexa, Johnson County: Leland Brown (Merck Animal Health)
- DeSoto, Johnson County: Allison Burenheide (Merck Animal Health)
- Ellis, Ellis County: Darci Cain (Fort Hays State University)
- Liberal, Seward County: Stewart Cauble (Seaboard Farms)
- Downs, Osborne County: Amy Doane (Smith County Memorial Hospital)
- Tescott, Ottawa County: Jessica Ebert (Ebert Ranch, CALF News)
- Pratt, Pratt County: Karly Frederick (BTI John Deere)
- Sabetha, Nemaha County: Roy Frey (Kansas Insurance Group, Inc.)
- Topeka, Shawnee County: Sean Gatewood (Gatewood Governmental Relations & Consulting)
- Phillipsburg, Phillips County: Kayla Jarvis (First National Bank and Trust)
- Manhattan, Riley County: Justin Kastner (Kansas State University, Trinity Canton Church)
- Garden City, Finney County: Austin Love (Commerce Bank)
- Oakley, Logan County: Leigh Ann Maurath (Kansas Farm Bureau)
- Lakin, Kearny County: Kyler Millershaski (MK Farms, Inc.)
- Liberty, Montgomery County: Jesse Muller (Muller Construction, Inc.)
- Preston, Pratt County: Jackie Mundt (Kanza Cooperative Association)
- Russell, Russell County: Andrew Ochampaugh (Agrilead, Inc.)
- Kinsley, Edwards County: Garrett Reiss (Phytech U.S., Inc.)
- Manhattan, Riley County: Kendra Riley (Kansas Department of Agriculture)
- Wichita, Sedgwick County: JR Robl (Hutton Construction)
- Sharon Springs, Wallace County: Clay Schemm (Arrow S Farms)
- Wichita, Sedgwick County: Anthony Seiler (Sedgwick County Farm Bureau)
- Garden City, Finney County: Bob Tempel (WindRiver Grain, LLC)
- Hutchinson, Reno County: Debra Teufel (Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce)
- Riley, Riley County: Shawn Thiele (IGP Institute, Kansas State University)
- Abilene, Dickinson County: Beth Weibert (Ag Risk Consulting)
The KARL program is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to developing leaders for agriculture, business and rural communities, and is a member of the International Association of Programs for Agricultural Leaders (IAPAL), represented in 40 states and multiple countries. For more information about KARL, call Jill Zimmerman at 785-532- 6300, email karl@ksu.edu or visit the KARL website at www.karlprogram.com.
Susan Sankey
ssankey@ksu.edu