New ProFILE cohort announced for 2024-25

Each ProFILE cohort ends its 15-month curriculum with a tour of ag facilities well outside Michigan, like this pecan processing plant the last group toured in the Deep South.

Date Posted: October 31, 2023

Emily Reinart, Michigan Farm Bureau

More than 80 members were nominated to participate in the 2024-2025 ProFILE Class, Michigan Farm Bureau’s Institute for Leadership Education. MFB is pleased to announce the new cohort of its premier leadership development program:

Drew Bordner — St. Joseph County
Andrew Braun — Clinton County
Erica Drake — Washtenaw County
Christopher Fox — Ionia County
Amanda Goodfellow — Mecosta County
Allison Grimm — Hillsdale County
Keion Jackson — Wayne County
Mitch Kline — Kalamazoo County
Samantha Mamarow — Washtenaw County
Cora Okkema— Mecosta County
Allison Schafer — Clinton County
Madeleine Smeltzer — Wexford County
Riley Travis — Isabella County
Andrew Woelmer — Monroe County
Cole Wood — Sanilac County
Claire Zahm — Ottawa County

The new ProFILE cohort begins its 15-month journey in just a few months:

The group will convene for the first time Jan. 16-18 for an orientation, DiSC behavioral assessment and public speaking training. They reconvene briefly in February at MFB’s Lansing Legislative Seminar, then head to the nation’s capital in mid-March for a five-day junket in conjunction with MFB’s 2024 Washington Legislative Seminar and Capitol Presidents’ Summit.

After that comes a lengthy break to accommodate planting season and most of the summer. They’ll touch base again in mid-September then break for harvest and Farm Bureau annuals in the fall and early winter.

In late January 2025 the group will board a bus for a five-day tour of agricultural sites outside Michigan, and take part in MFB’s Growing Together Conference the following month before their graduation in March.

ProFILE is MFB’s premier leadership development program for promising young Farm Bureau leaders, ages 25-35. Every two years a select group dive deep into the Farm Bureau organization and current industry issues, gathering along the way practical skills like public speaking, teamwork, communication, networking, media outreach and business planning.

For more information, contact ProFILE co-leads Emily Reinart or Rebecca Gulliver.