12/03/02
A group of 23 men and women, each involved to some extent in their careers or in their lives with the agricultural industry, make up the third class of LEAD, the Maryland ag leadership development program.
There are 16 men and seven women in the class; their average age is 31 and, according to Susan Harrison, executive director of the Maryland LEAD program, the class is the youngest on average of either of the classes which preceded it. In the first two classes, the average age was 35 to 36.
The professions of the new LEAD program enrollees cover a wide swath of agricultural involvement, ranging from a cattleman to a Farm Credit officer to a nursery salesman to the operator of a seed cleaning business.
The first, and introductory, seminar for the new class in its two-year period of study will be Feb. 12 through 14 at the Donaldson Brown Center in Cecil County.
The class members are:
William Cissel of Cecil County, an agronomist involved in soil sampling and crop scouting.
Robert Cooper, Montgomery County, executive director of the Maryland 4-H Foundation.
Charles Day, Harford County, who is retired U.S.Army and runs a consulting service.
Vanessa L. Akehurst Finney, Baltimore County, associated with the Maryland Nursery and Landscape Association and otherwise involved in the nursery and landcape business.
Paul Flynn,St. Mary’s County, involved in aquaculture and oyster culture.
Edwin “Chuck” Fry, who has a residence and is involved in nursery sales in Virginia but who helps with the Fry family dairy farm in Kent County.
Karen Holloway, Harford County, product manager at her family’s feed mill and also assists with family farm activities.
Richard McCrobie, Garrett County, a nutrient management specialist.
Melissa McNutt, Harford County, assistant ag coordinator for Harford County who also assists in the operation of her family’s farm.
Robert Mitchell, Montgomery County, an aquatic technician at the National Institutes of Health.
Kathleen Myers, Queen Anne’s County, soil conservationist with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Anne Arundel Soil Conservation District. She also works on the family livestock and produce farm.
William Rutter, Wicomico County, a staffer of Farm Credit and an adjunct professor at Salisbury State University.
William Schrode, Carroll County, also a Farm Credit employee who formerly worked on his family dairy farm.
Jason Spicer, Dorchester County, involved in a grain and timber cutting operation.
Eric Spates, Montgomery County, a grain and forage farmer.
Darian Sump,Talbot County, a fulltime CPA who helps with his family’s grain and poultry farm.
Teresa Summers, Frederick County, involved in a grain and forage farm which also offers “entertainment farming” activities.
Ruthie Way, Cecil County, a part-time research biologist at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds but who operates a hay business and poultry processing operation in partnership with her brother.
Eddie Boyle of Talbot County, involved in the Boyle Brothers seed cleaning business.
Cheryl DeBerry, Garrett County, an ag marketing specialist also involved in his family’s fruit, vegetable, beef and hay operation.
Chad Allen, Sussex, Del., who holds a management position at Allen Family Foods.
Les Richardson, Baltimore County, a member of Richardson Farms, a family commercial vegetable production and retail store operation.
Patrick Rodgers, Baltimore County, who raises Black Angus cattle, produces hay and straw and also offers a corn maze.