ASA staff and grower leaders attended the Soy Leadership Forum in Jacksonville, Fla. for a day and a half of leadership development training designed for state and national staff leadership.

ASA CEO Steve Censky and Executive Director Bill Schuermann joined ASA President Ray Gaesser, First Vice-President Wade Cowan and Treasurer Richard Wilkins attended the sessions co-hosted by Iowa, Illinois and Indiana soybean associations with support from the United Soybean Board.

The Soy Leadership Forum featured two keynote speakers this year. On day one Harrison Coerver, of Harrison Coerver & Associates, presented Road to Relevance; a follow up to the book Race for Relevance presented at the 2012 Soy Leadership Forum. Road to Relevance explores five practical strategies for performance in a non-profit environment in a time of unprecedented competition. Coerver provided examples of ways to work through these strategies from adoption to implementation.

On the second day, Mary Prefontaine, of the Institute for Career Advancement Needs (ICAN), presented Emergenetics, a scientific look at people and how to empower them, identify their strengths and facilitate the way they interact with others. Emergenetics provides organizations with the ability to analyze and value their human assets- in terms of productivity, leadership, decision-making, attitudes or teamwork.

Prefontaine is an Emergenetics International associate and has coached hundreds of individuals on developing their leadership capabilities.