NEWBERRY COUNTY — Ben Setzler, chairman of the Newberry Soil and Water Conservation District (NSWCD), was selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of the South Carolina Palmetto Leadership for Environmental, Agriculture, and Forestry (P-LEAF) Program.
P-LEAF provides a unique professional development experience designed to meet the growing need for South Carolina’s agriculture, forestry, environmental and natural resource economic engine.
This program has been designed to address the aging leadership in the agricultural workforce and prepare participants for advancement and succession within their organizations. This pool of developed leaders will then be able to continue to drive development and growth in the economic areas of agriculture, forestry, environmental and natural resources.
The P-LEAF program is an initiative led by Clemson University College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences and Clemson University Public Service Activities. Along with Clemson University, support the program has key collaborators from the Palmetto AgriBusiness Council, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina Farm Bureau, Forestry Association of South Carolina, South Carolina Forestry Commission, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, South Carolina Department of Agriculture and South Carolina State University.
P-LEAF is set up as a two-year program that includes a leadership practicum experience at the conclusion. It offers an in-state curriculum that will involve interactive sessions to include expert industry speakers, field experiences, personal assessments and soft-skills training. The program will also have a portion dedicated to out-of-state travel days, to have participants exposed to industry practices in neighboring states.
This program is a first of its kind in S.C.; however, will be part of a larger network of agricultural leadership. Currently, there are over 40 states and seven other countries that have a similar focused leadership program. Many programs work with land grant universities in the states and are coordinated by the International Association of Programs for Agricultural Leadership. With the development of South Carolina’s P-LEAF program, agricultural leadership programs have been established in all southeastern states.
Participants are chosen based on their leadership potential, career stage and characteristics such as communication skills, integrity, growth potential and analytical skills. All applicants must be at least 28 years old to participate. Upon completion of the program, participants will have a thorough set of tools, experiences and contacts, which will allow them to lead in their community, county, state, nation and within their industry.
Setzler was selected from a competitive pool of candidates. As a participant, he represents key aspects of the program’s focus. Setzler is noted as being one of the few full-time farmers or ranchers in the program. He also represents the natural resource conservation portion of the program, with his work in the NSWCD and the South Carolina Association of Conservation Districts.
NSWCD has agreed to sponsor Setzler in this program, with the desire to use the lessons learned to grow the Conservation District’s impact.
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