UW to Host Leadership Symposium April 20

The University of Wyoming Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Program will host a leadership symposium in Laramie Thursday, April 20.

The event will take place in the Wildcatter Club and Suites at UW’s War Memorial Stadium, and it also will be available via Zoom. Topics include advocacy in agriculture, leadership in family operations, community leadership and leadership in industry organizations.

The symposium is open to the public as well as UW students. The cost is $25 per person, with lunch included. To sign up, visit www.uwyo.edu/uwag/rmal.

Registration begins at 8 a.m., and Gov. Mark Gordon will deliver opening remarks at 8:30 a.m. The event will kick off with an interactive panel discussion led by Wyoming producers and agriculture advocates Diana Berger, Amanda Foss Hulet, Melinda Sims and Cat Urbigkit.

Following the panel discussion, Wesley Tucker, an agricultural business specialist at University of Missouri Extension and a fourth-generation farmer, will make a presentation about navigating family dynamics on farms and ranches.

Afternoon speakers include Jim Neiman, president of Neiman Industries and a UW alumnus from Hulett, and Don Schiefelbein, past president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and president of Schiefelbein Farms.

“We’re purposefully trying to tap into leadership at different levels throughout the day and show what you can do as a person to make a difference,” says Mandy Marney, event organizer and senior associate director of UW Extension. “By offering these different perspectives, people can see where they might plug in, whether it’s in the family business, their community or at the front of an industry organization.”

After closing remarks from Barbara Rasco, dean of the UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, and Kelly Crane, UW Extension director, participants are invited to attend an informal networking reception at the Rib & Chop House.

For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/uwag/rmal.

About University of Wyoming Extension

Since 1914, UW Extension has provided lifelong learning opportunities to Wyoming citizens across the state. With roots in agricultural education, UW Extension supports rural communities facing contemporary challenges and changes. UW Extension brings the university’s resources to each of the state’s 23 counties and the Wind River Indian Reservation. To learn more about UW Extension, visit www.uwyo.edu/uwe or call (307) 766-5124.