2016 OLD West Fest

The Old West Fest has been a benefit event Benefiting the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program for the last 24 years making it the longest running event for the KARL Program. It has alternated between the Dodge City and Garden City areas with great success in both cities. Like in the past it is time for the Old West fest to move to Garden City. This Years Old West Fest will be feature a Concert with Michael Martin Murphey  at the Clifford Hope Auditorium.

We will be hosting a Pre -Party and Dinner at the Clarion Hotel in Garden City beginning at 5. It is just a come eat drink and socialize with your friends and other Alumni. Concert and Pre Party Dinner Ticket are $100 (meal, pop, wine, water and beer) and if you just want concert tickets they are available for $40. If you know of someone interested in being a underwriter for the event we also have some opportunities for them including a Dinner at Trails End (Steve Irsik cabin) and meet and Greet with Michael Martin Murphey before the concert. Tickets may be purchased at the door or online at : https://oldwestfest2016.eventbrite.com

8th Annual Golf Tourney

After several years at the Wamego Country Club the 8th Annual Leaders Links Golf Tourney has moved to Colbert Hills on August 12, 2016.

The 8th Annual Leaders Links Golf Tournament will be held August 12, 2016 at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan KS. This Scramble Tournament is open to all individuals with all different abilities and skill levels. We will be hosting a closest to the pin and longest drive contest as well. Your Registration includes quick lunch, dinner, range balls, cart and golf. We will even buy the beer and soft drinks on the beer cart.

If you’re not familliar with Colbern Hill,s it is one of Kansas Premier Golf courses. “Colbert Hills will undoubtedly provide players of all levels with a golfing experience that is truly world class. Colbert Hills provides the ultimate in service and lasting golfing memories for all that challenge the course.”
– Co-designer and PGA Champions Tour player Jim Colbert

Come Join us and bring a friend for the best day of golf this year.

Hansen Foundation Continues to Support

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Dane G. Hansen Foundation has granted a $25,000 grant to the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Class XIII program.

The Dane G. Hansen Foundation was established as a charitable organization in 1965, with the primary goal of making the communities of Northwest Kansas better places to live. The Hansen Foundation was established through the generous donation of Dane G. Hansen, an exceptional Kansas citizen who had a personal interest in promoting education and helping young people to succeed. Upon his death, Mr. Hansen left a generous legacy to allow others to make the world a better place. In honor of Mr. Hansen’s memory, the Foundation awards grants and scholarships every year to qualified recipients who demonstrate a strong desire for community improvement.

KARL is a two-year, non-profit program that provides study, training and travel opportunities for emerging leaders in the state’s agriculture and rural communities. Since 1990, it has helped develop decisive, informed spokespeople to be representatives for the farming and ranching industries. Costs for each class are about $800,000.

“The Hansen Foundation was one of the original donors to the KARL program,” says Jack Lindquist Graduate program director. “That they are the group that has put us over the five million dollar mark in 25 years of KARL is incredible.”

“KARL has had many graduates and current class members from Northwest Kansas which makes this a great fit for our partnership with the Dane G. Foundation,” say Al Davis KARL President.

Since its beginning, KARL has had 12 classes of 30 or collectively, 360 members from 101 of Kansas’ counties have participated in the program. KARL Graduates have gone on to be in leadership roles in all of the major commodity associations, including the Kansas Livestock Association.

Baldwin Estate Gift

July 8, 2015

Mark and Debbie Baldwin of Wichita have forwarded a gift to the KARL Program from the estate of Mark’s parents, John and Roseanne Baldwin.

John was a founding board member of the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program in 1989. He served with great interest for the full term of 6 years but did not stop his engagement with the program at the end of that service period. John and Roseanne hosted KARL’s bi-annual fund raiser following his tenure as a board member. I still have the triangle chime and two bird houses John created, all purchased at the auctions.

John was a great force in our program’s early years, helping steer the inexperienced non-profit board members to a focused professional governance body. John was also one of my key mentors and remains such to this day. Not an event goes by, or solicitation of a new funding source pass, without my reflection of a quote of encouragement I gained from John. “Gather the low hanging fruit but sometimes you have to go out on a limb to get the best.” When preparing for promotional visits or getting ready for a fund raising event, John and Roseanne would always invite me to their home to share a meal, or would treat me to a nice dinner in town. I always admired and considered them part of my family, my KARL family, and felt they considered me part of theirs as well.

Thanks to the foundation John and Roseanne provided in our early years, we can proudly say that the KARL Program has matured into a driving force in Kansas’ economic development. We have had 390 participants to date from 102 of our 105 Kansas counties. The graduates are engaged in key leadership roles from the local through national level and the KARL Program remains independent, no tax dollars involved since our creation with $5.4 Million raised and invested in the training for the vast network. In addition, we reached one of John’s dreams from early on. We formed the KARL Graduate Program in 2013 and now, life-long pay-as-you-go continuing education experiences and travel opportunities are available to every KARL graduate and spouse.

We thank the Baldwin family for such a generous and thoughtful acknowledgement of our relationship with them. John and Roseanne will forever be a cornerstone of the KARL Program.

Jack W. Lindquist
KARL Graduate Program Director

On behalf of KARL, Inc.,
Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership
Developing Leadership Excellence

Class XIII Announced

CUTTING EDGE OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT NEW LEADERS IN KANSAS
FILE STORY – 2015 for current news, visit http://karlprogram.wpengine.com/connect-with-karl/ 

Manhattan, Kansas – “Big shoes will be needed to walk in the path of those that stepped up before us”, announced Al Davis, President of Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership, Inc. Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership, Inc. announced the thirteen and 25th anniversary class of the KARL Program during a special celebration Saturday.

The KARL, Inc. board of directors, graduates and donors celebrated the announcement of the 30 newest members of the advanced state-wide leadership training experience. KARL Class XIII (2015-2017) was introduced at the K-State Union, Manhattan. The KARL Program is a two-year educational experience offering intensive study, training, and travel for emerging leaders in agriculture and rural communities.

According to program director Al Davis, KARL Class XIII represents both the small Kansas community and urban viewpoints. “We took 5 days the first full week of May to interview the screened group of 51 finalists. Ten to 11 interviews per day for 5 days in early May was both grueling and rewarding for teams of KARL Board members and alumni.”

“The 30 members of the new class were incredibly excited to get the notice calls and humbled by the selection due to the competitiveness of the candidate pool. The class average age has risen from 35 for Class XII to 37 for Class XIII. The diversity is amazing and we also picked up a new county so KARL will now have a footprint of 390 participants in 103 of our 105 counties”, Davis Added.

“Our new leaders will be participating in nine in-state seminars in every region of Kansas. Study tours over the two years will include a national seminar entitled Blue Chip, which is an executive review of a Fortune 500 corporation’s strategic management processes; a tour to Washington DC studies decision making on the federal level and an International Study Tour will be the capstone learning event in 2017″, added Davis.

Evening presentations provided the much-anticipated details of the KARL Class XIII two year training programs study tour. “The class will be headed south…The International Study Tour will take Class XIII to the country of Chile. The South American country is a rapidly growing into a major competitor and partner in feeding the world,” according to Davis. {Click Below for the Class XIII Composite:
http://karlprogram.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Class-XIII-Composite.pdf }

Davis added, “To ensure KARL can continue its work developing leadership excellence, we need your support. The new Class XIII members will soon begin attending seminars. Their first year includes economic literacy instruction, communications training, conflict management exposure and the development of valuable contacts at the local, state and national levels. The second year focuses on biosecurity, energy, water conservation, food safety, trade balance issues and ends with a study tour to experience the culture, political system and agriculture of a competitor and trading partner. By learning about the world, as well as local and national issues, KARL graduates are prepared to take on today’s critical challenges.”

KARL’s mission is to provide first-class leadership development for agricultural and rural stakeholders by designing and offering challenging and illuminating education and enrichment programs as well as a forum for continuous engagement. The organization’s vision is to be the preferred partner in developing excellence in agricultural and rural leadership.

The KARL training experience carries a value of nearly $20,000 per person. Since no tax revenues are utilized for the program, funding is provided by contributions from the private sector. Donations from individuals, organizations, companies, corporations, and foundations provide over 4/5ths of the program’s budget. The participants pay a tuition fee of $2,000 each of the two years for the remaining costs. People wishing to invest in their own future by supporting the program can make their tax-deductible contributions directly to KARL at 101 Umberger Hall, Manhattan KS 66506. Call (785)532-6300 for

more information.

To view more information regarding the new class, alumni, the curriculum or program goals visit the website at http://karlprogram.wpengine.com/.

-30-

{Editors Note: To Localize see the new class members list attached. Individual portraits are available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/karlprogram/sets/72157652988951206/ }
CONTACT:
Jill Zimmerman, President
KARL Program
101 Umberger Hall
Manhattan KS 66506
785-532-6300
karl@ksu.edu
http://karlprogram.wpengine.com

Dillons Stores will Donate to KARL

HELP THE KARL PROGRAM Earn $$$ from Dillons every time you shop.

Do you shop at Dillons Stores and use a loyalty rewards card? The Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership (KARL) Program is now registered for Dillons new Community Rewards program.

Dillons Community Rewards makes fund-raising easy…all you have to do is shop at Dillons Stores and swipe your Plus Shopper’s Card! No cost to you or loss of loyalty rewards for your fuel purchase. Dillons calculates a percentage of their profit and makes the donation to KARL thanks to your loyalty.

A customer must have 3 things to register and begin supporting K A R L :
• A Plus card, which is available at any store by asking an associate
• A valid email address, which can be be obtained from any free online service and can be anonymous
• A personalized account at their website, which again can be anonymous

TO ENROLL IN THE COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM:
1. Members must visit the Dillons Stores website at https://www.dillons.com/communityrewards
2. Sign in OR Create an account (follow the prompts)
3. Click on “Enroll Now”
4. Enter the 5-digit NPO and search <54821> for the KARLProgram
5. Select K.A.R.L. and click on “Enroll”

Again, the NPO number for the KARL Program is 54821.
Thank you for signing up and sharing this post!image

KARL Partners with Dane G. Hansen Foundation

hansen2MANHATTAN, Kan. – Dane G. Hansen Foundation has granted a $25,000 grant to the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Class XIII program.

The Dane G. Hansen Foundation was established as a charitable organization in 1965, with the primary goal of making the communities of Northwest Kansas better places to live. The Hansen Foundation was established through the generous donation of Dane G. Hansen, an exceptional Kansas citizen who had a personal interest in promoting education and helping young people to succeed. Upon his death, Mr. Hansen left a generous legacy to allow others to make the world a better place. In honor of Mr. Hansen’s memory, the Foundation awards grants and scholarships every year to qualified recipients who demonstrate a strong desire for community improvement.

KARL is a two-year, non-profit program that provides study, training and travel opportunities for emerging leaders in the state’s agriculture and rural communities. Since 1990, it has helped develop decisive, informed spokespeople to be representatives for the farming and ranching industries. Costs for each class are about $800,000.

“The Hansen Foundation was one of the original donors to the KARL program,” says Jack Lindquist Graduate program director. “That they are the group that has put us over the five million dollar mark in 25 years of KARL is incredible.”

“KARL has had many graduates and current class members from Northwest Kansas which makes this a great fit for our partnership with the Dane G. Foundation,” say Al Davis KARL President.

Since its beginning, KARL has had 12 classes of 30 or collectively, 360 members from 101 of Kansas’ counties have participated in the program. KARL Graduates have gone on to be in leadership roles in all of the major commodity associations, including the Kansas Livestock Association.

 

Seen in Photo left to right,  KARL Board Chair Gary Doane and /KARL Class I Alumni and board member  Jerry McReynolds,  Rep. Susan Concannon Class IX, Class XII members from Northwest Kansas Tony King, Heather Hartman, and Timothy Franklin.

 

By admin | Sept 2, 2014 |

KARL Turns 25

25Years-$5Million

During the Old West Fest KARL Benefit in Dodge City, charter board members (left to right) Jack Lindquist, Ray Purdy and Florence Metcalf were recognized for 25 years of directional, promotional and financial support to the non profit educational organization Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Inc.

                    In addition to that milestone achievement, on July 20, 2014, KARL Inc exceeded  $5 Million in lifetime contributions from 1,600 donors over 25 years.

25 years of Success – KARL is  Kansas Leadership Based and Global in Reach
By Jack Lindquist, Director
KARL Graduate Program

The Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program roots run deep in past and present day leadership, from the Statehouse to nations around the globe.  KARL formation began in the summer of 1989 with a team of grassroots volunteers representing standing agricultural and rural Kansas leaders. The team was soon charged with establishing the non profit corporation, KARL, Inc.

A series of 12 seminars was developed to shape emerging leaders into service oriented, informed and collaborative leaders willing to make life and livelihood better for all Kansan’s.  The seminars provide incremental steps of experiential learning approaches that start with leadership principles, local decision making, strategic thinking and collaboration techniques and reach the capstone of international trade.

Kansas leading industry, agriculture, is in the forefront of case study within the KARL curriculum but other aspects of Kansas including socio economic implications are also the backbone of the two year curriculum.  Military affairs even have a place in the educational experiences including leadership level briefings at Ft Riley and deployment simulations and refueling flight experiences at McConnell AFB. Advanced interactive learning exchanges at the Command and General Staff College for Combined Services at Ft Leavenworth are the latest advanced learning opportunities. National and international study tours are the pinnacles of each of the two-year seminar series. Through 12 class offerings, the objectives and content have changed considerably to keep up with trends and to remain cutting edge.

Over the past 25 years and representing 102 Kansas Counties, the 390 participants of the KARL Program have visited the diplomats for trade in 13 foreign embassies in Washington DC.  In 1996 KARL hosted a (future) ambassador of China in class member  homes during WTO status debate. At the time the Diplomat was agricultural attaché for the People’s Republic of China.  Our 12 classes that completed the International Study Tour component of our program have had the opportunity to converse with minsters of agriculture and/or economics from 20 Nations.  The international diplomacy pinnacle was the opportunity to be guests of former President Rodriguez in Costa Rica during the class tour to that Central American country.

KARL Inc. recently formally expanded programming to include life-long learning experiences for alumni of the two-year program.  The pay-as-you-go training and travel experiences for the KARL Graduate Program do not draw on contributed funds intended for investment in the two-year KARL Program.  Not only do they pay their own way for continued education, as a body, KARL graduates contributed  personal funds totaling 1/5th of the total current class budget last year ($150,000).  The reinvestment is their way to pay-it-forward for a new generation of participants.

KARL Graduates investment in bettering the industry and state doesn’t stop there.  They serve on every major commodity association board, several commissions and multiple boards, advisories and councils from the local through national level.  The KARL graduate pool has surfaced many state agricultural leaders in the quest to serve including: President of the Kansas Farm Bureau (Steve Baccus and current President Rich Felts); Kansas Livestock Association, (Larry Jones, David Cross, Mark Smith, Mark Harms and  Jaret Moyer); Kansas Wheat Growers (John Thaemert, Jerry McReynolds, Kendall Hodgson & Gary Millershaski); Kansas Soybean Commission, Bob Haselwood (now a national board president); Kansas Dairy Commissioner Dennis Metz; and No-Till on the Plains Chairs (Doug Palen & Josh Lloyd). The first national president’s office of a commodity organization was earned by Class I graduate John Thaemert for the National Association of Wheat Growers and Jerry McReynolds served as president in 2010-11. Ron Suppes served as Chairman of the US Wheat Associates 2007-08. Gary Harshberger was appointed to the chairmanship of the Kansas Water Authority in 2011 and most recently, Dan Atkisson, Class XI graduate, was selected to serve on the National Grain Sorghum Producers board of directors. The first graduate to serve in the Kansas legislature was Class I alumnus Don Schroeder from Hesston; the second was Class IX graduate Susan Concannon from Beloit.  Ken Rahjes, Class III from Agra now makes the third graduate elected to the Kansas House.

Although laudable, the previously mentioned experiences and service roles can’t overshadow the value of scores of alumni learning about local through international issues that impact all Kansans.    All alumni step forward into active duty service roles – grassroots leadership posts that include county and city commission seats, school and hospital boards, extension councils and other human service roles.

For 25 years the non-profit educational organization, KARL, Inc. has humbly taken a noble concept and built it into a successful program with global recognition and admiration.  The achievements have only been possible due to the partnership with more than sixteen-hundred donors willing to invest in KARL – $5.5 million to date.  Candidates are selected from a competitive application and interview process and pay tuition set at one fifth of the total budget for each class of 30 members. The other 4/5’s of each class budget comes from personal, business, foundation and corporate contributions. Since it’s inception, no tax derived funding has been requested or accepted to fund the 501c3 charitable educational corporation.

Together we will continue to provide a foundation of new servant leaders willing to collaborate for a better future for Kansas.  For more information about participating in or contributing to the KARL Program, visit the website at: www.karlprogram.com/.  Applications for Class XIV (2017-2019) will be available after September 1 with April 15, 2017 as the closing date.   Applicants are advised to apply early for the greatest exposure.

For more information contact:
Al Davis, President
KARL Inc
karl@ksu.edu
www.karlprogram.com

-///- —–
Jack W. Lindquist, Director
KARL Graduate Program
101 Umberger Hall
Manhattan KS 66506
785-770-2425 (mobile)
785-532-6300 (office)
jack@ksu.edu
http:www.karlprogram.com

Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership
KARL Graduate Program
A conduit for life long learning and continuous engagement.

Glenn Mull Family Memorial Fund

imageKARL PROGRAM establishes
Glenn Mull & Family Memorial Gift

A fund has been established within the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership (KARL) Foundation in memory of Glenn Mull , his wife, daughter, and granddaughter. The fund is in recognition of Glenn’s lifelong agricultural leadership in Kansas. In recognition of the initiating gift, Graduate Program Director Jack W. Lindquist acknowledged that, “The role model leadership Glenn Mull expressed was unselfishly for the benefit of the industry and state as a whole. The KARL Program is honored to help remember Glenn Mull’s leadership through this generous expression that will benefit emerging agricultural leaders for generations to come.” The Mull memorial fund was initiated by Glenn’s friend and fraternity brother, Rich Porter. Another fraternity brother and friend of Glenn’s, Lee Musil, is a member of the KARL, Inc. board of directors and a friend of Porter’s, further developing Rich’s admiration of the KARL Program.

Recognition for contributors to the Glenn Mull & Family Memorial Fund will take place at the Old West Fest KARL Benefit in Dodge City August 15, 2014 and subsequent years the event is held thereafter. The fund is to be left open and can be added to by friends of Glenn Mull and family. Gifts may be sent in Memory of Glenn Mull, KARL Foundation, 101 Umberger Hall, Manhattan KS 66506.

Bonus Podcast w/Jack Lindquist with ‪#‎KARL‬ http://t.co/M7tUTTOwsy

KARL Receives CHS Foundation Grant for $10,000

MANHATTAN, Kan. – CHS of Inver Grove Heights, MN has awarded $10,000 for the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Class XII program.
The CHS Foundation is committed to investing in the future of rural America, agriculture and cooperative business through education and leadership development.
The CHS Foundation supports national efforts related to its mission. Funding is also available for programs within the CHS trade territory for regional, multi-state or state-wide projects. Giving outside national efforts typically reaches the following states: Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Depending on circumstances, other geography may be considered.
“We are proud to support the efforts of Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership,” said CHS President William J. Nelson. The CHS Foundation is the major giving entity of CHS, an energy, grains and foods company with a stewardship focus of building vibrant communities. The CHS Foundation is managed through the CHS Marketing Communications division in Inver Grove Heights.
KARL is a two-year, non-profit program that provides study, training and travel opportunities for emerging leaders in the state’s agriculture and rural communities. Since 1990, it has helped develop decisive, informed spokespeople to be representatives for the farming and ranching industries. Costs for each class are about $600,000.
“The generosity of Foundations such as CHS is critically important to the continuation of our efforts to create ambassadors for rural communities, agriculture and the way of life associated with each of those,” said Al Davis, president of KARL. “This gift will benefit the current Class XII members by helping us maintain a cutting edge training experience for rural Kansas leaders.”
“CHS has been a continuing partner for KARL. Over the years, the foundation has continued to believe in our program and in Kansas communities,” said Al Davis.“
Since its beginning, KARL has had 11 classes of 30. These 330 participants from 101 of Kansas’ counties have participated in the program. KARL Graduates have gone on to be in leadership roles in all of the major commodity associations, including the Kansas Livestock Association.