Applications Available for OABA LAUNCH Class

Program Will Address Looming Retirement Surge

The Ohio AgriBusiness Association will select up to 30 promising leaders to participate in a leadership enhancement program in early 2016. Knowing that half of the agribusiness workforce could retire in the next 10-12 years, Leaders Achieving Unexpected New Career Heights (LAUNCH) was designed to inspire confidence in emerging leaders to help them achieve career growth and their organization’s strategic goals. Earlier this year, 20 participants from 16 different organizations graduated from the third LAUNCH class.

“While the LAUNCH program was designed as an intensive professional development workshop for agribusiness professionals, it also connects participants with fellow leaders in the industry, which often turns into lasting working relationships among them,” said Chris Henney, OABA president and CEO. “It’s a unique dynamic in that the participants are learning and collaborating together to better themselves and Ohio’s agriculture industry as a whole.”

The LAUNCH program will consist of two sessions: Jan. 5-7, 2016 and Feb. 16-18, 2016. The program will cover a variety of topics, including personal insight, executive leadership skills and decision making, communication and presentation skills, global issues in agriculture, sales and marketing principles, Ohio/regional trends in agribusiness, strategic planning, critical thinking, goal setting and organizational skills, state and local government, how to develop a successful mentor-mentee relationship and a capstone project.

To be considered, participants must be employed by a member company/organization of the Ohio AgriBusiness Association, must be sponsored by their employer, and must submit an application and letter of recommendation. The application form is available at www.oaba.net. The deadline to apply is Nov 20.

For more information and to see what 2015 participants are saying about LAUNCH, go to oaba.net/events or contact Margo Long at 614-326-7520 or mlong@oaba.net.