Incoming Rural Ontario Institute chair makes distance learning a priority

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

by SUSAN MANN

Making use of new technologies to offer distance learning as part of the revamped Advanced Agricultural Leadership program is one of the priorities for in-coming Rural Ontario Institute chair Janet Horner.

Horner, of Shelburne and coordinator of the GTA Agriculture Action Committee, was elected chair at the institute’s board meeting following the recent annual general meeting. She replaces Rob Hannam of Guelph. Others elected to one-year terms on the executive committee are: Jim Whaley of Wasaga Beach, vice-chair; Stig Puschel of Sudbury, secretary; and Bill Bearss of Brampton, treasurer, while Hannam is past chair. The two new directors are Dean Anderson of Guelph and Molly Ross of Huntsville. They join returning board members Rob Gordon of Guelph, Cathy Redden of Campbellford, Chris White of Rockwood, Susan Leuty of Fergus and Paul Karges of Gowanstown.

The institute has redesigned the agricultural leadership program based on comments from previous participants and a study on its effectiveness, says Horner. “One of the things we heard from our grads was that sometimes it’s really hard to get away from your farm or your workplace as often as they were required to do so.”

The distance learning initiatives will start being part of the program for Class 15, which begins in September. “It’s going to be exciting because it’s new territory for us,” she says, noting they haven’t eliminated all of the program sections where the class comes together in person for meetings.

Other priorities the institute is pursuing include increasing their fundraising efforts, trying to have parts of the agricultural leadership program accredited as University of Guelph credit courses, and reaching out to other organizations to offer a specialized leadership training program for their executive and potential new executive members.

Horner says the institute’s almost $1 million budget comes from three sources: government grants, tuition and fundraising.

The institute is a non-profit organization that develops leaders, initiates dialogues, supports collaborations and promotes action on opportunities and issues for rural Ontario. BF