Members of the 2017-18 class of North Carolina Farm Bureau’s Leadership, Education, Activity and Development program, known as the LEAD team, were honored today during the organization’s 83rd annual meeting.

NCFB’s convention took place Dec. 2-4 in the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center at the Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons.

“North Carolina Farm Bureau’s LEAD program offers a valuable opportunity for farmers to develop their leadership skills with the goal of becoming an active part of the voice of North Carolina agriculture,” said NCFB President Larry Wooten. “These LEAD graduates are now better equipped to help themselves and others pursue the mission of our organization, which is to improve the quality of life for farm families and rural communities across the state.”

The LEAD program is designed to develop and enhance the leadership skills of Farm Bureau members between the ages of 36 and 52 who are actively involved in production agriculture. During two years of training, this class of LEAD team participants was involved in a variety of leadership development activities, including classroom sessions, farm and agribusiness tours, media spokesperson training, and other activities and discussions designed to help them better serve the mission of the organization.

The 2018 graduating class included 14 NCFB members: Quincy Adams, Wake County; Bobby Allen, Randolph County; Andrew and Melinda Arnold, Beaufort County; Sue Ellen Brock, Pitt County; Charles and Karen Herlocker, Stanly County; Adam Hilton, Davidson County; Dawn Jordan, Polk County; Dustin and Amanda Laws, McDowell County; Danny Wells Jr., Rutherford County; Kent Williams, Sampson County; and Tonya Wright, Beaufort County.

– Submitted by Lynda Loveland