AdvancingAg mentees sought inspiration in a mountain setting

In a tumultuous year where nothing is what it was, the AdvancingAg future leaders program marched on – with ample safety precautions, plenty of Zoom meetings, and an eye to the future.

This made-in-Alberta mentorship program has and continues to promote a progressive and vibrant cropping sector, and supplies program graduates with a unique opportunity to learn from existing leaders within the agricultural sphere. With the help of the program mentors (and industry influencers), AdvancingAg future leaders, aged 18 to 35, are armed with knowledge and given key assistance in identifying career- centric learning and training opportunities.

To kick off the 2020-21 program year, in a socially-distanced environment, leadership mentees attended the fourth-annual leadership summit under the watchful eye of facilitator extraordinaire Linda Wilson. Wilson guided the attendees through a two-day course that included a deep-dive into; the concept of leadership, engaging in productive conflict, and a hands- on exploration of how to build engaged workplaces and communities.

“Effective communication is more than just a message, it’s having your message understood,” said attendee and mentee Brittany Turchyn, a territory manager with Corteva Agriscience who hails from the Peace Country. “The leadership summit allowed me to examine and learn not only how to be a more effective communicator, but also a more engaged listener and participant.”

This year’s gathering was held at the Rimrock Hotel in Banff, Alberta, an idealistic setting for mentees to learn and benefit from valuable introspection while surrounded by 3,000-metre peaks.

“Learning the DiSC program was an awesome insight into both my personal behaviours as well as others I work with,” recalled mentee Austin Jamieson, a grain market advisor with Cargill.

“The take-home message for me was the power in understanding, listening and asking questions,” added Tayo Adegeye, a research associate with Synergy Ag.

With another year of engaged and excited participants, AdvancingAg continues to boast a notable contingent of alumni, all of whom have experienced mentorship and hands-on education from some of Alberta agriculture’s best and brightest.

To keep up with this year’s class of mentors and mentees, interested observers can visit advancingag.ca – which also features details on how to apply for the 2021-22 program year.