We recently caught up with Dr. Dave Hyink (Class 13) to congratulate him on two awards he has received in the past year. He shared some thoughts about the impression AgForestry left him with.
Being a member of Class XIII was a high-octane experience, fueled by the energy and creativity of 30 classmates – all selected for their potential to become more effective leaders. The geographic, personal and professional diversity of the class enabled individual members to learn much from each other; in addition to the regular curriculum.
I can’t think of a covered topic that I was not able to insert into my daily personal and professional life. The implicit centrist message of finding compromise and achieving consensus to create policy and solutions that benefited the greater good served me well for my entire professional career and beyond.
Removing the “mystique” surrounding the legislative and regulatory processes gave me the information and confidence I needed to successfully take on a leadership role in the input and public comment phases of regulation and rule-making at the federal level.
The experiential format of AgForestry allows entre and access to key people and places that would not be possible otherwise – especially at scale.
To the existing and upcoming AgForestry classes: There has never been a time when our country and our industries needed proactive leadership to promulgate legislation and policy for the collective benefit of society. If you want to see who that person is, look in the mirror!
The ten most important two-letter words in the English language: “If it is to be, it is up to me!”
Graduating from AgForestry is just the “end of the beginning”. The world awaits you…
