Cindy Garretson-Weibel, director of the Agribusiness Division for the Wyoming Business Council, received the 2014 Outstanding Leadership Program Director Award at a national conference for the International Association of Programs for Agricultural Leadership (IAPAL) in Lexington, Ky.
Garretson-Weibel, the director for the Wyoming L.E.A.D. program, was presented the award by Rob Black of the Rural Ontario Institute and Dr. Joe Waldrum, executive secretary of IAPAL.
“Garretson-Weibel received this honor for her vision, leadership and extraordinary commitment to excellence which has shaped the lives of many agricultural leaders as they serve Wyoming and the nation for the challenges ahead.” Waldrum said. “She is highly respected by her peers in leadership development in this country and internationally and we are proud to recognize her talents and impacts with this prestigious award.”
The Outstanding Leadership Director Award was begun by Dr. Bill and Polly Pope in 1999. Dr. Pope began the Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership Program in the late 1980s at Texas A&M University and was its first director. After his retirement from the university, he became the executive secretary of IAPAL and held this position until his death in 2010. He and his wife Polly felt that directors of these statewide leadership development programs were not being recognized for their efforts in these unique positions. The Popes believed innovative directors who were good teachers and whose programs were producing effective leaders for agriculture and rural areas should be showcased by this annual award.
Garretson-Weibel is a native of Saratoga and grew up on the One Bar Eleven Ranch. She graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural communications in 1986. Before coming to the Wyoming Business Council, she worked for the Wyoming Stock Growers Association for over 12 years where she edited the monthly Cow Country magazine and served as the executive director for five years. Garretson-Weibel’s areas of expertise include livestock marketing, international agriculture, leadership development, organizational management and agricultural income diversification.
IAPAL is a consortium of leadership programs in the USA, Canada and several other countries. Most IAPAL member programs have a two-year curriculum designed for up to 30 key leaders selected through application processes.
Wyoming L.E.A.D. was established in 1984 with a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to establish a rural leadership program. Twelve classes totaling 204 men and women have graduated from the L.E.A.D. program since its creation. L.E.A.D. is sponsored by the Wyoming Business Council’s Agribusiness Division and the Wyoming Agricultural Leadership Council (WALC).
The mission of the Wyoming Business Council is to facilitate the economic growth of Wyoming. The Business Council provides assistance for Wyoming businesses and start-ups, helps communities meet their development and diversification needs and recruits firms and industries that complement Wyoming’s assets. For more information, please visit http://www.wyomingbusiness.org.
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