A desire to build the future of the pork industry at the local, state and national levels is what drew together 11 young leaders from the state of Iowa to take part in the 2022 Iowa Pork Leadership Academy (IPLA).
IPLA develops leadership skills and helps these leaders put their skills to use in their local communities. The program, organized by the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA), meets throughout the year to develop skills and better understand the pork industry.
“These participants want to contribute to a better future for Iowa’s pig farmers,” says Cory Van Gilst, IPPA’s director of producer outreach, in a release. “The people in our IPLA group get to build relationships with others in the industry, identify their unique leadership strengths and skills, and receive a broader understanding of the Iowa pork industry.”
IPLA members learn about the work that the Pork Checkoff is doing for the industry as well as what is happening in the policy arena, he explains. They discover ways they can be an advocate for the industry in any aspect of their lives.
During the group’s first two meetings, they identified their leadership strengths, were coached on media communications and learned about the work of IPPA, the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council, the release says. They also met with Iowa legislators and staff from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the governor’s office.
The group plans to take two educational trips, including a trip to Washington, D.C. to better understand the national legislative process and federal agencies. The second trip will be to South and North Carolina to learn about other commodities and the challenges those producers face.
Members of the 2022 IPLA group 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
Plymouth County – Trevor Harson, Hinton, and Colin Schroeder, Le Mars
Polk County – Eleanor Korum, Des Moines, and Katie Tapper, Urbandale
Story County – Jeb Gent, Ames, and Stacie Matchan, Gilbert
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