The Illinois Beef Leadership Academy (BLA) helps to identify, develop, and encourage the next generation of leaders within the Illinois cattle industry. BLA is a year-long program that utilizes industry tours, educational sessions, and team-building activities to develop leadership capabilities and industry knowledge. Throughout the year-long program, participants create a vast network of industry contacts and build a skillset that serves them on and off the farm. Highlights from past Beef Leadership Academy cohorts can be found below!

Applications open May 9, 2024.

Qualifications for application to the Beef Leadership Academy include:

Illinois beef producer 22-40 years old.
Paid Illinois Beef Association membership by the start of the program.
Commitment to prioritizing four (4) in-person events throughout the year.

"Beef Leadership Academy has given me the opportunity to network with the next generation of cattlemen and women, both professionally and socially. Knowing that we are all going to face the same challenges that 21st-century beef production has to offer, it is a good feeling to be able to expand my network within the Illinois cattle industry. "

-Trevor Maiers, Inaugural Beef Leadership Academy Class

A Year in Review (2022-2023)

Take a look at what the inaugural Beef Leadership Academy class completed in their year-long program!

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Participants dove into personal motivators, communication styles, and much more in their first immersive experience. Members also got to tour J. Willrett Farms, one of the state's premier cattle-feeding operations.

RELEVANT MESSAGING AND ADVOCACY

If you don't tell your story, someone else will is a popular phrase amongst agriculturalists. In their second immersive experience, participants learned the power of telling their story, how to effectively communicate their story, and then put their practice to work!

THE BUSINESS OF BEEF

Members dove into the buisiness side of the Illinois cattle industry in session three. Hearing from a Farm Credit Illinois representative, and the owner/operator of Raber Packing Co., Peoria, IL, participants dove into the ins and outs of good business, and how to apply that to their operation.

LEADERSHIP IN ACTION

Participants concluded their year-long program in the Capitol. Two days were spent in Springfield, where members met with their Representatives and Senators. Participants also learned about the work that the IBA does within the policy realm on behalf of cattlemen and women.

A Year in Progress (2023-2024)

Keep up with the second cohort of the Beef Leadership Academy as they embark on their year-long program!

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Participants completed the "Taking Flight" personality assessment, which shed light on their strengths, communication styles, and motivations. Members also got to tour Clear Creek Farms 2, Inc., one of the state's premier recipient cow operations and experienced Lorenzen Farms fall production sale.

RELEVANT MESSAGING AND ADVOCACY

The Beef Leadership Academy took a deep dive into advocacy for the beef industry through effective personal storytelling. The Illinois Soybean Association hosted members for a panel discussion and office tour, and they wrapped up at IBA President, Dave Duzan's cattle backgrounding operation.

THE BUSINESS OF BEEF

The group spent time in Chicago learning about the McDonald's beef business. Participants met with the beef procurement group, supply chain leads, and got to tour one of McDonald's five patty suppliers. Participants also toured Larson Farms, a custom feeding operation, with past IBA President Mike Martz and his wife Lynn.