During our time in Washington D.C. we were continually exposed to contrasting and diverse experiences, perspectives, opinions and ideas across the many departments, organizations and groups we came in contact with. Our fellowship was lucky enough to snag 20 minutes of Mr. Todd Van Hoose’s, President and CEO of the Farm Credit Council, time to… Continue reading Similarities in a Diverse World
VALOR Class VI spent some time in March in our nation’s capital learning more about urban agriculture and national policy. During our time at the US Army for Civil Works I heard the phrase “New, Weird and Different” from Jamie Pinkham and knew instantly this would become the title and framework for this blog. (I went to post this blog… Continue reading New, Weird and Different
“We try to be a department that looks at problems in new, weird, and different ways.” Jaime Pinkham, Principal Deputy Assistant at the U.S. Army for Civil Works (and Washington Ag Leadership Program Alum) shared this quote with our VALOR class, and gave tangible examples how his organization lives out this mantra daily. As I’ve… Continue reading New – Weird – Different
Only four months have gone by since the start of our VALOR adventure and we are already done with our third seminar! This particular journey took us to Richmond to explore the ins and outs of the Commonwealth's government. On Wednesday we had the privilege to meet with the Commissioner of Agriculture, Joe Guthrie, in… Continue reading From The Farm to the City
Looking back over this seminar, several things stick out more than others in my mind. I am reminded of smart perseverance and the need to get out of my comfort zone. The first thing is smart perseverance. I saw this in Tanya Cauthen's pursuit to open a butchery and CJ Isbell's vision to operate a… Continue reading “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Eleanor Roosevelt
When I considered the opportunity to participate in VALOR I knew that there would be many experiences that were outside my comfort zone. It was something that was both a little terrifying and also exciting. My days are typically spent at my desk or in meetings with other local, state, and federal bureaucrat types. With… Continue reading Finding New in the Familiar
To say that spending time in a city is somewhat out of my comfort zone would be a large understatement! City streets, traffic, people and all things that go with this are VASTLY out of my comfort zone! I'm so far out of my comfort zone that I've experienced minor panic attacks trying to determine… Continue reading Stepping out of Your Comfort Zone
In my “extra-curricular” professional career I’ve taken on a few new roles on several board of directors of non-profits over the past year, or so. This type of service and volunteering is new to me and wanting to take these responsibilities seriously and live out a motto that speaks true to me - “Whatever your… Continue reading The Power of Influence
Why networking matters During our recent Seminar in Richmond, I was struck by the power of relationships. Our first meeting of the trip was in the Governor's Cabinet Room with key members of the Cabinet. We discussed several issues affecting Virginia Agriculture, including the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, H2A regulations, and workforce development. These leaders made… Continue reading Completing circuits
“Agriculture and forestry are Virginia’s first and third largest industries.” In our first meeting of the Richmond seminar, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matt Lohr shared this statistic with our VALOR class. While it was mentioned directly a few times during our days in and around the state capital (even by Governor Youngkin during his… Continue reading Number One and Number Three
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