Stewart accepted for the A-P-L-U national Food Systems Leadership Institute

Dr. Marshall Stewart of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), N.C. State University, was accepted this past fall to participate in the Food Systems Leadership Institute (FSLI), an executive leadership development program for academia, industry, and government. Stewart is head of the CALS Department of 4-H Youth Development and Family & Consumer Sciences, associate director for North Carolina Cooperative Extension and 4-H state program leader.

The FSLI enhances personal and professional development by emphasizing leadership competencies, skills for organizational change and a broad, interdisciplinary perspective of food systems. The FSLI experience prepares scholars for upper-level leadership roles in food system programs and to assume broader leadership responsibilities within their organizations.

During the two-year FSLI program, scholars work with expert instructors, leadership development coaches and an upper-level mentor to help increase their leadership abilities. They meet with leaders of universities, political leaders, industry leaders and others who have advanced to the highest levels of leadership. Leadership theory is combined with practical experience, often in the context of food systems and higher education.

Year one includes intensive executive education-style residential learning sessions at three university locations. Scholars perform assessments to increase their self awareness of their leadership style, and the results are used to develop and implement a personal development plan, prepared with the assistance of a professional coach. Interactive distance learning is used between residential sessions. During year two participants work, applying what they have learned, to develop and carry out an Individual Leadership Project

FSLI is a program of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A-P-L-U), with the initial funding provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. N.C. State University is the host site with The Ohio State University and the University of Vermont being residential sites responsible for implementation of the program.