May 29, 2023

Leadership development focus of ASTA June conference

The American Seed Trade Association’s (ASTA) summer leadership conference heads to the capitol of the Golden State to provide takeaways on the outlook of the U.S. seed industry and U.S. agriculture.

In its second year, the ASTA Leadership Summit is scheduled for June 10-14 in Sacramento, California. It is on track to break new records, according to a news release.

“Boasting the largest student delegation ever for a summer meeting, as well as an anticipated six-year high for summer ASTA conference attendance, the summit’s program, set against the backdrop of the California State Capitol, will offer key insights on the future of U.S. seed industry and U.S. agriculture,” ASTA officials said in a news release.

The program kicks off with two powerhouse sessions: an interactive phytosanitary discussion entitled “How to Build a Resilient Seed Supply,” followed by the conference program start with “Challenges and Opportunities in Agriculture.” The latter session features Don Cameron, president of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Diving deep into the theme of Resiliency, general session keynote speaker Coach P.J. Fleck, of the University of Minnesota Gophers, is scheduled to deliver an inspiring, energetic look into team building and resiliency, according to the release.

That session is scheduled to be followed by a series of sessions examining resiliency of people and the workforce, the resiliency of seed companies and agriculture. The session will look at those areas through a futurist perspective, and should provide participants key action items they can take back to their companies, according to the release.

Designed with leadership development as a core objective, the summit includes a meeting of the ASTA Leadership, Education and Development (LEAD) committee, a session on personal resilience in a leadership development workshop, and a robust student program and career fair. The conference is also scheduled to include an interactive session entitled “Women in Seed: Perspectives for Everyone,” focusing on “your power in change.”

Conference information is available at asta.swoogo.com/leadershipsummit23.