Seventeen agricultural and forestry leaders gathered Aug. 17, 2026, to celebrate their graduation from the inaugural Tennessee Agriculture and Forestry Leadership Program (TAFLP).

The 18-month professional development initiative was created to strengthen executive and community leadership skills among farmers, foresters, and agribusiness professionals. For those who helped bring the idea to life, the ceremony marked the culmination of planning that began even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is the realization of a vision that has been years or even decades in the making for many dedicated individuals in this room and across the state of Tennessee,” said Dr. Emalee Buttrey, training specialist for the Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership (NCEL) and one of the leaders who played a significant role in the program’s development. “We want to thank everyone who had a part in this curriculum and the participants who demonstrated courage by committing time, money, and trust to an experience whose outcomes were not yet defined.”

Developed by NCEL, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, and industry groups such as Tennessee Farmers Cooperative (TFC), the program included tours of farms, forests, and businesses across Tennessee; an out-of-state industry trip; and a policy visit to Washington, D.C. The classʼ experience began with an intensive team-building retreat at Montgomery Bell State Park.

The 17 members of the inaugural class represented a variety of agricultural and forestry sectors. While some initially questioned why they had been selected and what role they would play, the experience eventually revealed one of the program’s greatest strengths: the relationships built among classmates.

“As things progressed, it became obvious that we were really there for one another,” said TFC Board President Benjie Daniel, who joined fellow TFC board members Robert Thompson and Matthew Miller in the inaugural class.

“It wasn’t just about what the leaders were teaching us, but about what we were learning from each other. With our diverse backgrounds, we all brought something different to the table, and we learned from one another. We spent so much time together that we were able to build strong relationships and a sense of community. So now, we know each other well and what each member’s strengths and interests are in the group.”

“We also learned that leadership is an ongoing journey,” Daniel added. “We focused on the necessity of being present for classmates and stepping up when necessary to move things forward.”

Throughout the program, participants developed practical skills in areas such as speaking and writing while learning to recognize and pursue leadership opportunities. Rather than creating leaders from scratch, TAFLP was designed to build upon the abilities of established leaders and prepare them for greater responsibilities in agriculture, forestry, business, and their communities.

Program speakers at the graduation included Dr. Macel Ely, NCEL executive director; Andy Holt, Tennessee commissioner of agriculture; and Eric Mayberry, president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation. Class representatives Jason Doggett, Julie Head, and Nick Patterson were selected by their peers to speak. Trent Clagg, NCEL program manager, and Bassem Mina, NCEL training coordinator, presented the graduates.

Keynote speaker Lauren Lucht offered the graduates a perspective from Oregon, where she serves as program coordinator for Real Oregon, an agricultural leadership program similar to TAFLP. She is also CEO of her family’s business, Northwest Transplants, a commercial greenhouse operation producing more than 80 million vegetables, herbs, specialty crops, and tree seedlings each year for growers across the Pacific Northwest.

Lucht reminded the graduates that, beyond completing the program, they had accomplished something no future class could claim.

“Congratulations, graduates,” she said. “You have completed an intensive learning experience across Tennessee, beyond this state, and to Washington, D.C. You have stepped away from your farms, forests, businesses, organizations, and families. You have asked questions. You have listened to perspectives different than your own, tested your assumptions, and built relationships across industries and communities. But there’s something else you can celebrate – you were the first. You helped make this trail by walking it. Every class that follows you will have a curriculum to point to, alumni to call, stories to hear, and traditions to inherit.”

She also reminded the class that because of the leadership abilities they possess, they were selected for the program two years ago.

“You are not future leaders; you are leaders now. You were leaders before you completed this program,” Lucht said. “You lead when you make decisions without perfect information. You lead when employees, neighbors, customers, and family members look to you during difficult seasons. You lead when you explain agriculture or forestry to someone who has never set foot on a farm or worked in a forest. You lead when you protect the long-term health of a business, a natural resource, or a rural community.”

Lucht challenged the graduates to carry the lessons of the program forward by becoming more intentional in their leadership, investing in relationships with fellow classmates, and encouraging others with leadership potential to become involved in agriculture and forestry.

“If each of you does those three things, this graduation will create ripples across Tennessee, far beyond what any of us can see today,” she said.

As the inaugural class received certificates of completion and personalized gold, rose gold, and turquoise engraved belt buckles, participants reflected on an experience they described as valuable and rewarding. They left the program with stronger leadership skills, new relationships, and optimism about what they can accomplish together in the years ahead.

The inaugural Tennessee Agriculture and Forestry Leadership Program class graduates are: Jeremy Burnett of Lakeland; Benjie Daniel of Charlotte; Andy Davis of Sparta; Jason Doggett of Pulaski; Julie Head of Adams; Robert Hill of Jackson; Aaron Loy of New Market; Colton McClanahan of Sparta; Matthew Miller of Powell; Nick Patterson of Red Boiling Springs; Mark Powell of Watertown; Allie Richman of Lynchburg; Kary Robinson of Huntland; Pam Stoutt of Strawberry Plains; Robert Thompson of Niota; Laura Vaught of Milton; and Shane Williams of Riceville.