Prospective participants in one of Michigan’s marquee leadership opportunities have until Aug. 1 to apply for consideration for the Great Lakes Leadership Academy’s 2026 Leadership Advancement Program (LAP). Limited to just 24 participants, LAP is a yearlong curriculum of classroom intensives, community-based regional experiences, virtual cohort projects and an international capstone travel experience.
As a founding partner, sponsor and member of GLLA’s Advisory Council, Michigan Farm Bureau encourages members to apply.
LAP is designed for current and rising leaders in the diverse industries — agriculture, natural resources, environment, manufacturing, community development and all forms of government — looking to strengthen their skills and empower their communities and organizations.
Among the most recent cohort of LAP graduates was Jackson County Farm Bureau member Charles Loveland.
“For me it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he said. “It was a blast getting to meet really cool people who’ve now become friends.”
A seasoned veteran of many a leadership curriculum, Loveland said he found LAP’s more personal approach refreshing.
“It’s not something you’re part of just during the program — it sticks with you.
One of LAP’s themes, Leadership for the Greater Good, hints toward the selflessness that appealed to Loveland.
“It’s really more of a reflection on yourself and your own role as a leader,” Loveland said. “You ask yourself how your decisions affect others and how to use more empathy in applying changes.”
Implementing LAP tenets on a practical level has proven different for Loveland because of the relatively solitary nature of much agricultural work.
“A lot of people in the program work in offices, where I’m pretty much on my own on a day-to-day basis,” said Loveland, who raises cash crops and registered Herefords in addition to working sales for Golden Harvest across southeastern Michigan.
“Being in agriculture, you can get into your head a lot and things going wrong can be overwhelming.”
He credits LAP with improving his own self-awareness as a leader, giving him tools for better prioritizing his energy toward things he can control — not wasting that same energy on factors he can’t influence.
MFB’s role as a founding member and key financial partner of GLLA means each cohort has at least five participants involved in agriculture.
Here’s the program’s full calendar for 2026-27:
- Jan. 22, 2026 — Virtual orientation
- Feb. 9-11, 2026 — Classroom Intensive 1 in Michigan Tri-Cities
- March 9-11, 2026 — Classroom Intensive 2 in Michigan Tri-Cities
- May 7, 2026 — Virtual session
- June 22-24, 2026 — Regional experience 1: Agriculture & Food Systems in Western Michigan
- Aug. 3-5, 2026 — Regional experience 2: Community Development in Southeastern Michigan
- Sept. 13-16, 2026 — Regional experience 3: Conservation, Natural Resources & Environment in the Upper Peninsula
- Nov. TBD, 2026 — One-day session, in person
- Jan. 15-26, 2027 — Capstone Travel Experience: Patagonia
- Feb. 22-24, 2027 — Graduation in East Lansing
LAP all-inclusive $6,000 tuition covers comprehensive educational materials as well as the cost of all meals, lodging and international travel. Limited need-based scholarships are available.
Applications are due Aug. 1. Visit the LAP website or email glla@msu.edu for more information.
Share Story
Article Tags
