CLIVE, Iowa—The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) is looking for the next class of Iowans to join the Iowa Pork Leadership Academy (IPLA). Develop your leadership skills, increase your understanding of state and national policy making, and travel the country to meet farmers from other states.

IPLA aims to equip you with the abilities to help lead the pork industry today and tomorrow. Applications for the 2023 IPLA class are due Nov. 30, 2022.

Online applications and details about the program can be found at http://www.iowapork.org/iowa-pork-leadership-academy/.

The tools IPLA participants will gain in the 2023 program are:

·        a working knowledge of the Iowa Pork Producers Association and other key organizations that work with IPPA to broaden perspectives and build coalitions;

·        understanding and defining leadership styles and how they impact people working together in a group;

·        a deeper understanding of the pork industry and its economic contributions to Iowa, and how that impacts Iowa’s place in the world; and

·        sharpening written and verbal communications and messaging about pig farming and pork.

The academy will meet four times in 2023, starting with an introductory session in February 2023. The program culminates with the group’s graduation at the January 2024 Iowa Pork Congress.

The current IPLA class will graduate at the 2023 IPPA annual meeting awards lunch on Jan. 24, 2023.

Those members are: (listed alphabetically by county): Audubon County – Yury Alexandra Espinosa, Audubon; Des Moines County – Haley Kerr, Oakville; Howard County – Hailey Waddell, Protivin; Johnson County – Matthew Rooda, Iowa City; Linn County – Matthew Ditch, Center Point.

Also, Plymouth County – Trevor Harson, Hinton, and Colin Schroeder, Le Mars; Polk County – Eleanor Korum, Des Moines, and Katie Tapper, Urbandale; and Story County – Jeb Gent, Ames, and Stacie Matchan, Gilbert.

Members of the 2022 Iowa Pork Leadership Academy meet with staff at the USDA to talk about current farm issues impacting Iowa’s pig farmers.

(contributed press release, IPPA)