Front row: (left to right) Christopher Hill, Caleb Ragland, Elaine Gillis, Joe Ericson, Adam Cloninger, Shane Greving and Brian McKenzie.
Back row: (left to right) – ASA President Richard Wilkins, Bill Shipley, Robert Alpers, John Krutzfeldt, Hunter Grills, Kerrick Wilson, Cory Atkins and Ryan Findlay, Industry Affairs Lead with Syngenta.

Farmers from 15 states graduated from the 2015-2016 American Soybean Association (ASA) Leadership At Its Best program this week in Washington, D.C. The Leadership At Its Best program is sponsored by Syngenta and develops leadership, communication and advocacy skills in farmers who have already shown potential to be strong leaders through the positions they hold on their state soybean association boards. This select group of farmer-leaders participated in the first part of the Leadership At Its Best training this past summer in Minneapolis, Minn. This week, their training focused primarily on how to advocate for issues important to soybean farmers in Washington. The class participants concluded their visit to the Capitol with a day of Hill visits with their state associations.

Leadership At Its Best Program participants are nominated by their state soybean association. This year’s class participants included: Adam Cloninger, Keo, AR; Cory Atkins, Seaford, DE; Elaine Gillis, Dunkirk, IN; Bill Shipley, Nodaway, IA; Caleb Ragland, Magnolia, KY; Brian McKenzie, Cassopolis, MI; Christopher Hill, Brewster, MN; Robert Alpers, Prairie Home, MO; Shane Grieving, Chapman, NE; Joe Ericson, Wimbledon, ND; Kerrick Wilson, Sommerville, OH; Cliff Barron, Johnsonville, SC; John Krutzfeldt, Wolsey, SD; Hunter Grills, Newbern, TN and Brad Kremer, Pittsville, WI.

ASA is now accepting nominations for next year’s class. For more information, contact Michelle Hummel in the ASA office at mhummel@soy.org.