Bloomington, Ill. – September 2, 2026 – Illinois Soybean Association’s (ISA’s) LEAD program, which stands for Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Development, is excited to announce its third class of participants.
“We welcome these new and longtime ag leaders to the LEAD program and look forward to engaging with them over the next year,” said Bryan Severs, ISA Board Chairman and Illinois soybean farmer. “As we look to the future of the soybean industry, building relationships and building leaders are two key pieces to ensuring our continued success.”
Designed for aspiring leaders and seasoned experts, LEAD provides tailored opportunities across agriculture for growth, collaboration and impact.
The following is the new LEAD class and their level in the program:
- Emma Adkisson, Next Generation 2 Apprentice
- Nicholas Padula, Next Generation 2 Apprentice
- Nolan Schott, Next Generation 3 Emerging Leader
- Zoey Vance, Next Generation 3 Emerging Leader
- Landon Larkin, Navigator 1 Contributor
- Kate Halligan, Navigator 1 Contributor
- Shelbie Kile, Navigator 1 Contributor
- Ashton Bailey, Navigator 1 Contributor
- Klayton Hanrahan, Navigator 2 Influencer
- Tyler Roth, Navigator 2 Influencer
- Lance Muirheid, Navigator 2 Influencer
- Harrison Albright, Navigator 2 Influencer
- Blake Edwards, Navigator 2 Influencer
- Dakota Short, Navigator 2 Influencer
- Gretchen Alwardt, Navigator 2 Influencer
- Bethany Beeler, Navigator 2 Influencer
- Zhanyou Xu, Navigator 3 Impact Leader
- Jay Kindred, Navigator 3 Impact Leader
- Jonathan Griffel, Ambassador 1 Mentor
- Tyler Deal, Ambassador 1 Mentor
- Adam McVey, Ambassador 1 Mentor
- Carl Masters, Ambassador 1 Mentor
- Vikkie Becker, Ambassador 2 Advisor
- Lin Warfel, Ambassador 3 Legacy
- Daryl Cates, Ambassador 3 Legacy
- Stan Born, Ambassador 3 Legacy
- Mark Gebhards, Senior Advisor
The purpose of the LEAD program is to help participants grow as leaders, explore opportunities across agriculture and build relationships that can shape the future. Participants in the program will gain a comprehensive understanding of the soybean supply chain, from seed to consumer, explore the benefits of the soy checkoff and its role in Illinois agriculture and build skills to inspire and mentor future leaders in the industry.
To learn more about ISA’s LEAD program, visit ilsoy.org/lead/.
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The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development, soybean production and government relations efforts, while the membership program, Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG) and the Illinois Soybean Growers PAC actively advocates for positive and impactful legislation for farmers at local, state and national levels. ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean farmers through promotion, advocacy, research and education with the vision of becoming a trusted partner of Illinois soybean farmers to ensure their profitability now and for future generations. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org and www.ilsoygrowers.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Betsy Osman
Illinois Soybean Association
betsy.osman@ilsoy.org
