Rural Leadership North Dakota’s next class includes a farmer, program administrator, business owner, retired professor, bookkeeper, bank president, assistant director, city coordinator, legal assistant and economic development directors.

They are among 20 North Dakotans chosen for the North Dakota State University Extension Service program that kicks off in October. They will spend the next two years learning to be willing, effective leaders with the skills to overcome challenges and guide North Dakota into the future.

Class members will attend 10 workshops throughout the state and take a six-day study tour to Washington, D.C. They’ll learn to think critically and creatively, work with people, communicate effectively, use technology, understand agricultural and rural policy, and find innovative ways to fund local and regional development. They’ll also create a network of contacts and resources they can tap into for ideas, answers and support.

To practice what they learn, participants will develop and implement a project that benefits their organization, community or region. Those proposed projects include repairing and painting the homes of elderly and low-income residents, creating a program to attract new agricultural producers, developing a day-care facility, restoring a city park, creating a dog park, opening a convenience store, beautifying Main Street and developing a high school career exploration program.

The 2007-09 class members are Sandra Arends, Fargo; Jeffrey Barta, Grand Forks; Richard Blahut, Berthold; Catherine Dalzell, Bismarck; Lowell Disrud, Fargo; Jan Dodge, Watford City; Kevin Hall, Hoople; Candice Hall, Parshall; Angela Harrison, Selfridge; Jill Haugen, Hannaford; Jim Hennessy, Stanley; April Jepson, Killdeer; Kelly Larson, Forbes; Nikki Mertz, Carrington; Don Morgan, Linton; Mary Schmitt, Ray; Jon Scraper, Fargo; Lynae Sims, Casselton; Pamela Trhlik, Bismarck; and Nikki Wolla, Dickinson.

They joined the program for a variety of reasons.

“I am very interested in understanding more about North Dakota ag and rural policy and how this affects moving forward in North Dakota,” Arends said.

Dalzell said she wants to develop her capacity to understand and listen.

“If I can understand the needs of rural North Dakota better, I will have effective solutions,” she added.

For more information about RLND, visit its Web site at http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/rlnd/; contact Marie Hvidsten, program director, at (701) 231-5640; or send an e-mail to mailto: ndsu.ruralleadership@ndsu.edu.

NDSU Agriculture Communication