By EMMA HOPKINS-O’BRIEN

Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS — At the upcoming Indiana Farm Equipment and Tech Expo the Indiana AgriInstitute will be sponsoring a panel of five speakers who will discuss the critical importance of leadership effectiveness as it relates to the agriculture. This seminar will be held at 10 a.m. on Dec. 19. The Expo will be held in the West Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds,

The roundtable will be composed of individuals who have graduated from the AgriInstitute’s Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program, which is aimed at advancing agriculture through leadership development and preparing leaders to be spokespersons, advocates and decision makers for the industry at all levels.

The roundtable panelists at the Expo have served in influential positions in policy decision making and will include Bruce Kettler, State Director of the Indiana State Department of Ag; Don Lamb, owner and operator of Lamb Farms; Andy Tauer, Director of livestock and aquaculture at the Indiana Soybean Alliance; Don Villwock, Villwock Farms owner, Purdue University College of Ag educator and former President of Indiana Farm Bureau and moderator and Vice President of Commercial and Ag Lending at First Farmers Bank and Trust, Amie Osborn.

The area of discussion among panelists will be how Ag Leaders of today and in the future should be prepared to address critical leadership matters from the viewpoint of international trade.

“Trade of course is a very hot topic for agriculture’s future — now, in the past and certainly in the future,” said Beth Archer, executive director of the AgriInstitute. “The topic of contemporary trade discussions gives us the platform to focus on why it is important to be informed, be engage and take an active role in influencing our future.”

With the country currently in political turmoil in some part due to trade policy, the AgriInstitute believes it is important that ag leaders of the future engage in political activities and are prepared to handle such pressures.

“Our intent is not to discuss political positions as much as why engaging in politics is important for agricultural leaders,” Archer explained. “We must be a part of the decision-making and be in roles where we can advance agriculture through good policy decisions that will bring profitability and advancement to the industry.”

Anyone with a vested interest in the agricultural Industry is invited to attend the panel discussion which is set to run for one hour. Those interested in attending may register for the program on the Indiana AgriInstitute’s website for free, and enjoy a complementary lunch during the round table discussion.