The Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) is celebrating the graduation of their first ever Emerging Leaders Program.  The ceremony was held during the Spring Policy Conference and Fly-In.  The class has spent more than year learning the necessary tools to become effective advocates for the next generation of crop insurance leaders.

“Today, crop insurance is a centerpiece of the farm safety net. As we look ahead to the next farm bill and beyond, we need a new generation of informed advocates who can engage to protect crop insurance during policy debates,” said CIRB Chair Sheri Bane, of COUNTRY Financial. “That’s why CIRB’s Emerging Leaders Program is so critical to the future of crop insurance and, ultimately, the rural economy.”

The six Emerging Leaders Program class members participated in events across the country, receiving advocacy training and networking with industry leaders. Program highlights included interacting with CIRB’s Executive Committee, receiving issue briefings, meeting with Members of Congress and their staffs to serve as crop insurance’s voice on Capitol Hill, and learning from industry leaders at USDA’s Risk Management Agency and National Crop Insurance Services.

Members of the inaugural class are: Eric Swanson (COUNTRY Financial), Beth Bjerke (AFBIS), Aaron Rutledge (FMH), Nikki Harrod (ADM), and Weston Burcham (ADM).

Any current employee of a CIRB member company interested in the 2016-2017 Emerging Leaders Program may now apply online.  More information about the program is online at www.cropinsurance.org/leaders.  Applications are due August 1, 2016.