The National Pork Producers Council and the National Pork Board have kicked off the 2022 class of Pork Leadership Institute (PLI), a jointly funded and organized training curriculum designed to develop future leaders for the U.S. pork industry.
 
The comprehensive, year-long program consists of five learning sessions, running from February to November. Selected participants are educated on the legislative and regulatory processes, the importance of international trade, the roles of the national pork organizations and their state pork associations, and the issues facing producers. They also are trained to be spokespeople for the pork industry and grassroots activists able to disseminate pro-active, targeted messages about the industry. 
 
"PLI is vital to the success of pork producers because it develops knowledgeable advocates for the pork industry and, most importantly, future industry leaders," says NPPC CEO Bryan Humphreys. "PLI graduates are able to tell the pork industry's story from Main Street to the nation's capital. It's a great program that every pork producer should consider participating in."
 
Pork producers are nominated for PLI, with NPPC staff working closely with state pork association executives and field representatives to identify key individuals. Each year about 15-20 producers are selected to participate in the program. The following producers are in the PLI class of 2022:
 
Katie Beckman – Utah
Carl Brehe – Missouri
Jill Brokaw – Illinois
Heidi Flory – Pennsylvania
Jason Foster – South Dakota
John Giefer – Minnesota
Jerry Hairr – North Carolina
John Wesley Hairr – North Carolina
Phillip Hord – Ohio
Alexandra Kraber – Iowa
Jarred Lorenz – Michigan
Lauren Nagel – Indiana
Mark Schleisman – Iowa
Nick Seger – Ohio
Jon Tangen – Oklahoma
Jared Teuscher – Idaho
Ismael Villalobos – Oklahoma
Morgan Wonderly – California
 
For more information about PLI and to express interest in attending the program, contact your state pork association executive or NPPC's Janine Van Vark, at [email protected].