Alumni Perspectives: Leadership Trajectory

BY LIZA ROBERTSON

I SPOKE TO SEVEN AG LEADERSHIP ALUMNI ABOUT HOW THEIR EXPERIENCES AS FELLOWS OF THE EARLY CLASSES IMPACTED THEIR LIVES. WITHOUT A DOUBT, THESE ALUMNI HAVE CARRIED THEIR AG LEADERSHIP LESSONS WITH THEM WHEREVER THEY GO. ALL HAVE UTILIZED THE SKILLS THEY GAINED IN A WAY THAT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED THEIR LEADERSHIP TRAJECTORIES.

“Ag Leadership taught me during that first session in Sacramento that I’m just as good as the rest of my fellows with college degrees,” said John Muller (8). “It really increased my confidence. Because of Ag Leadership, I found myself having many high-profile experiences that I had never expected to have, like serving as mayor of Half Moon Bay, or being appointed by four different governors to serve on a state board. How did I get these experiences? Because of Ag Leadership. Thank you to Ag Leadership and its founders!”

Those of you who know John Muller won’t be surprised to hear how passionate he is about his Ag Leadership experience. Muller attributes much of his leadership success to the program that he and his wife, Eda, both say changed his life. The social experiences changed his outlook on the world and gave him an inclusive attitude which he is especially proud of.

“Ag Leadership gave me confidence—and that confidence showed up last year when I flew the gay pride flag at my farm,” said Muller. “I had hundreds of people stop and thank me for making them feel welcome. I would never have been that person if it wasn’t for Ag Leadership. It made me the person I am. No matter where I’ve gone or what I’ve done, I’m thankful for that.”

Another graduate who gained confidence during their time in the program is Audrey Tennis (12). She describes the experience as giving her the tools she needed to reach for goals she had never imagined she would have.

“Ag Leadership was just this great big launching pad for me,” said Tennis. “It provided me the perfect combination of training and experiences to mix with the skills and abilities that I brought to the table. It gave me the confidence to become a risk taker and reach out for opportunities that appeared to be far beyond my wildest dreams or imagination.”

For Jacquie Williams-Courtright (11) it was the experiences she had of seeing the stark contrasts within city blocks, borders and regions that were “a reality check.” “Whether in Detroit, LA, Cairo, Riyadh or Jerusalem, it was insightful to see how factions were making inroads to work together, with great divides remaining,” said Williams-Courtright. “I will never forget the Saudi Bedouin camp with a Toyota truck parked out front and a TV antennae for the tent roof, or the size of the pipes pumping oil from the ground in Dhahran, or the huge Egyptian families working the land with hand hewn tools and oxen or the state-of-the-art irrigation in Israel.”

Simply put, Jim Nielsen (5) attributes his success away from life on the farm to the exposure he gained to the world through the Ag Leadership Program.

“The joy of going way beyond the farm to experience life and to learn— these were the most impactful times for me,” said Nielsen.

For Peggy Perry, Ph.D. (9), the opportunities she had to learn from her fellow classmates left a lasting impression and gave her an enduring sense of obligation to not sit back and complain about things, but to go out and make a difference.

“One of the most impactful experiences was being with a group of people who were so committed to giving back and taking on leadership roles,” said Perry. “I was young and was doing great in my academic role, but I didn’t have people in my orbit in the industry who were so knowledgeable about issues, so that inspired me.”

When Gus Collin (3) thinks back on Ag Leadership moments that left the greatest impression on his life, he remembers times when he learned about making a difference through interactions with government leaders.

“Getting to know who the decision makers are and knowing that I could go to Washington and make changes—that changed my outlook on the type of impact I could make,” said Collin.

Ask Bob Dempel (4) about instances of enduring impact and he’ll recall three especially long-lasting memories. The first was Class 4’s international seminar which took him to Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt and Italy. The second was the time he found himself sitting in a meeting with then Vice President Gerald Ford.

“Jerry Ford sat down with us and said ‘Gentlemen, I can guarantee you there’s no Ford in your future.’ He didn’t believe he would become president. But then Watergate hit, Nixon was gone and Ford was president,” said Dempel.

“AG LEADERSHIP TOTALLY CHANGED MY LIFE. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE IN THE GREATEST CLASS. THE PROGRAM WAS STILL THREE YEARS BACK THEN AND WE GOT TO SPEND A LOT OF QUALITY TIME WITH OUR CLASSMATES AND GET TO KNOW THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES. I WAS VERY, VERY FORTUNATE TO BE IN MY CLASS.” -GUS COLLIN (3)

“WE LIVE AG LEADERSHIP IN OUR HOUSE. WE WAIT FOR THE HORIZONS MAGAZINES. WE KEEP IN CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER. WE WERE A TRAILBLAZING CLASS BECAUSE WE WERE THE FIRST CLASS TO GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM IN TWO YEARS.” -BOB DEMPEL (4)

“MY LIFE IS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT AS A RESULT OF MY EXPOSURE TO CONTINUAL LEARNING AND BEING INTRODUCED TO NEW IDEAS. SIMPLY BEING MORE CURIOUS, LISTENING TO ISSUES, THE BOOKS THAT I READ—IT HAS ALL BEEN INFLUENCED BY AG LEADERSHIP.” -PEGGY PERRY (9)

“I THINK WE ALL SAY IT, THE FRIENDSHIPS THAT WE NOT ONLY ACQUIRED FROM OUR CLASSMATES, BUT FROM ALL AG LEADERSHIP GRADUATES, NO MATTER WHERE WE PASS EACH OTHER IN THE WORLD, HAVE DEEPLY INFLUENCED MY LIFE. BECAUSE OF AG LEADERSHIP I’VE HAD A GREAT LIFE. I HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR MY AG LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE AND I CHERISH IT ALL THE TIME. YOU NEVER GET OVER IT.” -JOHN MULLER (8)

“THE WORLD EXPERIENCE I GAINED THROUGH AG LEADERSHIP INFLUENCED MY LIFE BY HELPING TO PUT LOCAL ISSUES IN PERSPECTIVE” JACQUIE WILLIAMS-COURTRIGHT (11)

“AG LEADERSHIP INFLUENCED MY LIFE BY GIVING ME A FOUNDATION UPON WHICH TO BUILD AND DEVELOP MY TALENTS AND ABILITIES. NOT ONLY HAVE I BENEFITED FROM THIS EXPOSURE, BUT MY FAMILY HAS AS WELL. WE ALL SERVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY AT WHATEVER WE ARE ‘CALLED’ TO DO.” -AUDREY TENNIS (12)

“THE DIVERSITY AND BREADTH AND DEPTH OF THE AG LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE IN THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN A PART OF IT IS INCREDIBLE. AG LEADERSHIP HAS TAKEN US BEYOND THE FARM AND MADE US MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE LEADERS OF OUR INDUSTRY— THAT’S AFFIRMATION OF THE VISION OF THE FOUNDERS.” -JIM NIELSEN (5)

“A leader is someone who can get along with people and get things done, especially in the complex world we live in today.” -Gus Collin (3)

“Leadership is for everybody. Meaning everyone has the opportunity to make choices to move things in a positive direction. We have to lead ourselves first and display the qualities of a leader; then we can influence people. Knowing yourself and staying true to yourself—I’d say that is a big part of leadership.” -Peggy Perry (9) “I think about all the Ag Leadership folks throughout California and I think you’d be hard pressed to find an ag product in our state that doesn’t have some connection to somebody who went through the program.” -Bob Dempel (4)

“I think the most important thing is, besides being understanding and respectful, you have to be a good listener. Give respect, make time for other people, be nice. Especially after everything we’ve gone through in America.” -John Muller (8) “Finding ways to collaborate and always looking for the high ground have been my guiding tenants for leadership.” -Jacquie WilliamsCourtright (11)

“Leadership in its most succinct definition to me is someone who makes a difference. Whatever your contributions are, you being a part of it has made a difference. Sometimes you’re changing the world, sometimes you’re changing the minute. Sometimes it’s small, but it’s never inconsequential. It is all important.” -Jim Nielsen (5) “Defining leadership in the context of agriculture and my personal journey is truly a case of melding leadership intelligence into all situations of life. What looked like leadership 40 years ago is not what it looks like to me now. Today leadership is about serving by example in everything that I do and desiring to be fully knowing in all these situations that I am right where I’m supposed to be.” -Audrey Tennis (12)

Dempel’s third meaningful recollection was of a seminar at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and the public speaking abilities he gained during that time.

“I remember vividly having to stand up and give talks in front of the class,” said Dempel. “It was recored and played back and every classmate had to comment on the speech you had given. By far and away, those communications elements that were taught left the greatest impact on my life.”

During moments when he found himself in leadership roles up against large developers, major polluters and other heavy-hitters, Muller drew on what he had learned during the program to shepherd him through.

“Negotiating with Judge Vaughn Walker for $40 million to save our community of Half Moon Bay from developers was without a doubt the moment in my life when I most utilized what I had learned,” said Muller. “I counted on my Ag Leadership experience every time I was going into hostile or tense meetings. I got a lot of experience that helped me handle tough situations.”

Williams-Courtright draws on the knowledge she gained from Class 11’s international travel seminar in 1982 to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel to guide her when it comes to making decisions on a local level.

“As a new water board member, having witnessed global water struggles provided me with great depth of understanding that I could apply to local issues,” said Williams-Courtright. “Water conservation practices in Israel and desalination plants in Saudi Arabia demonstrated how others met challenges.”

Whether serving as chair of the California Water Commission, or while on the state board for California Women for Agriculture, Tennis says she draws on her ties to the Ag Leadership network for support in her many leadership roles.

“The connections I made have served me well,” said Tennis. “It goes without saying that the contacts I made through Ag Leadership, both in and outside the program, proved to be very, very instrumental in the leadership situations I found myself propelled into. This is especially true in our own farming business, helping to establish Golden Valley Bank, serving on The Enloe Foundation board and in many other places.” Be it education, government issues or situations that impact farms and the industry collectively, Nielsen says he relies on his Ag Leadership contacts regularly and can point to them as a means of guidance when needed.

“In all candor, it is a rare week that I don’t have some contact with somebody from Ag Leadership,” said Nielsen. “I still stay in touch with many, and we are very close. I’m in contact with a member of the Ag Leadership network often, and usually not in dealing with an Ag Leadership subject. As we have all gone on post Ag Leadership, the diversity of our endeavors demonstrates that we have been trained to succeed. The connections expand our own Ag Leadership experiences.”

Perry thinks of times when she was faced with decision-making opportunities as examples of how Ag Leadership positively influenced the outcome.

“When I was considering stepping up to take an opportunity, I would make the choice to not hang back and to not be intimidated by the situation,” said Perry. “I tell myself, ‘if I can bring value to it, I should.’”

Collin credits Ag Leadership with opening doors that he had never expected to find himself in front of. He is filled with gratitude for the unforgettable leadership positions he held that lead to broad opportunities throughout his life.

“One of the greatest experiences I had was to be fortunate enough to be chair of Sunsweet Growers,” said Collin. “That would’ve never happened had it not been for Ag Leadership. The program changed our lives completely. I got to see the world and experience a lot of things I would never have imagined if it had not been for Ag Leadership.”

When it comes to situations in careers or leadership positions that were positively influenced by a graduate’s Ag Leadership training, the alumni I spoke to all agree that when faced with opportunities to make a profound impact, they lean on what they learned during the program. These seven alumni are outstanding examples of the indelible influence the California Ag Leadership Program has, and will continue to have, on fellows, alumni, families, businesses, communities and the ag industry. Thank you to these alumni for sharing their stories!

State Sen. Jim Nielsen (5) on Mentoring

Long ago, I literally wrote a philosophy of life—what I wanted my life to be. I did that as a senior in high school. At that time, I didn’t know what a philosophy was. Now, as a part of my mentoring, I challenge younger folks to write a full paragraph of what they want their lives to be. I tell them to set it aside and then come back to it and condense it into three sentences and then reduce that to three to five words that become the keystones of their lives. Mine are faith, family and leadership. I literally have a passion for mentoring others. I’ve been helped in my life path by others and I’ve made a devotion to mentoring. Literally every day I am mentoring and encouraging other people. If you associate yourself with me, as in work for me, my goal is to help you, encourage you and mentor you to grow every single day. And what that means to those who’ve been in my employ is that they move along to even better opportunities.

From what I’ve experienced, they then always know there’s a future, they are challenged to grow and improve, and they go on. But then I have a very accomplished person in a notable place who is my ally, associate or friend. And now I have a network of friends and associates all over in all sorts of endeavors. They know they’re challenged to grow, get better and be better than what they are today. That assembly of people is more effective than they would have been had they not moved on.

Mentoring is a joy for me. I’m the better for it. It makes me feel good and warm in my heart that I have helped them in their lives to become something better. There are always others in line to move up and it’s become a formula that really works for me. I had many mentors, including the founders—they are still a part of my life every day.