New York state’s premier leadership development program is now accepting applications for its next class of leaders in the food, agriculture and natural resources sectors of the Northeast.

LeadNY, a pioneering training program for mid-career professionals, provides intensive one- or two-year programs to improve leadership skills, self-awareness, issues analysis, critical thinking and civic engagement. Based at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the program links Cornell leadership and global development expertise with real-world training to help professionals maximize their potential in their careers and their community-based impact in the Northeast.

Applications are due June 1 and are now being accepted at the LeadNY website.

“LeadNY has been developing next-generation leadership across the Northeast for decades, and we are thrilled to start recruiting our next class,” said LeadNY Executive Director Larry Van De Valk. “Given the unprecedented changes and challenges facing our society today, we need effective leaders now more than ever.”

This year’s cohort will be the 19th class in the program. LeadNY intends to deliver most of its curriculum through in-person seminars with rigorous safety and health protocols in place. The program anticipates a return to in-person gatherings and in-state travel by this fall when the new class begins, and eventually a return to out-of-state travel next year.

To make the program more accessible to people affected by the pandemic, tuition has been reduced 25% to $1,800 for the year. Additional tuition assistance made possible by generous sponsors is usually available for those who need it.

Candidates are selected through a competitive application process and come from a wide range of sectors, interests and geographic areas throughout the northeastern region. Select candidates will be interviewed in June, and final selection decisions will be made in July. After a brief virtual orientation in August, the class will begin their normal seminars in late September or early October. A tentative calendar is available online.

Participants who successfully complete the first year of the program (“Leadership Fundamentals”) can apply for the second-year program (“Lead Fellows”). Fellows from class 19 will join Fellows from class 18 beginning in the fall of 2022. This combined cohort offers additional opportunities for networking and out-of-state travel, including seminars in Ottawa, Canada, Washington DC, and an international study destination. Previous classes have visited countries like Kenya, Vietnam, Chile and others.

For more information please contact Terri Denman, Program Coordinator of LeadNY at (607) 255–7907 or tld1@cornell.edu.  Applications are available on our website at www.leadny.org.

This article also appears in the CALS Newsroom.