LEAD New York Program

It is with great excitement that we share the job posting for the next Executive Director of LeadNY. This Cornell faculty position will provide vision and administrative oversight of LEAD NY as well as the Cornell CALS Leadership Minor. Please help us find the best of the best for this important role; learn more here:

Academic Career Opportunities The Section of Global Development in the School of the Environment and Sustainable Development in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University seeks an innovative individual with a proven record of developing relationships and networking in communities to join our faculty as a....

Greetings LeadNY alumni and friends:

I’m very pleased to share that the college has selected Jenn Smith (class 20) to serve as interim director of LeadNY, effective immediately. Larry, Jenn, Alison and the LeadNY advisory board are working together to ensure a smooth transition and startup for Class 21. As a recent graduate, she is very familiar with the curriculum and goals of the program, and with her extensive connections and experience in the food and agriculture space in NYS, she is well positioned to bring the right expertise to shepherd our newest cohort on their leadership journey. We’re grateful that Jenn has accepted this role to ensure a smooth transition in program leadership.

A little bit more about her: Jenn leads food and ag innovation programs for Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement. Her portfolio includes the Grow-NY program, an annual $3M investment competition for innovative, early stage, high growth potential businesses working anywhere in the agrifood system; she also directs a Dairy Innovation Initiative focusing on bringing new dairy products from idea stage to store shelves, an ag tech hardware accelerator, and the Community Hub of the Northeast USDA Regional Food Business Center. In her role she draws on her background in entrepreneurship in the food and farming space and subject matter expertise in craft beverage market development, gained while the Executive Director of the New York Cider Association and the New York State Distillers Guild. In addition to leading NYCA and NYSDG, Jenn has helped entrepreneurs throughout the Northeast launch innovative technologies. value-added products, agritourism ventures, and hospitality businesses.

Please join me in welcoming Jenn to this exciting role.

Greetings LeadNY alumni and friends -
After nearly 25 years in my role as executive director of LeadNY, over 35 years working in higher education, and 40 years working in the food, agriculture and natural resources space, I have decided to retire from my position as Senior Extension Associate at Cornell, effective August 15. I look forward to beginning the next chapter of my life, which will include more leadership and organizational development consulting work.
As you know, we recently selected our newest cohort. Rest assured that we are taking all the necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition and provide a strong start for class 21. The program advisory board and I are working diligently with the college administration to put the necessary pieces in place for continued program excellence.
As I shared in my comments at our recent 40th anniversary celebration, I am proud of the way this program has evolved over the past four decades, and it is through the collective action of you, our alumni, that we find testament to our program’s success and impact. It has been a pleasure to work with so many of you through the years and I hope that our paths will cross again. Until then, take care and best wishes!

Lead New York (LeadNY) is pleased to announce the members of its 21st class. “We are very excited to share the roster of our newest cohort.” said Larry Van De Valk, Executive Director of the program, adding “Members come from every corner of our state; and we have representation from sectors that we have not seen in years. This is a very strong, diverse class.”

The guiding principle in the selection process is to try to assemble the right mix of participants in the final roster – including as much diversity as possible. As such, the new class has 10 men and 13 women and is dispersed from Genessee County in the west, to St. Lawrence county in the north, Suffolk County in the east, and NYC to the south, with many points in between. About half of the participants are directly involved in production agriculture, 1/3 come from the for-profit agribusiness sector, and the remainder come from the not-for profit, government agency or educational sectors. Age range of the participants is 26 – 61, and the average age of the cohort is 37 years old. This group will bring valuable, diverse perspectives to class discussions, as they represent a wide array of specific food system interests.
Name Employment
Shelwyn Becker CNY Feeds
Charlene Calixte Haarlem Children’s Zone
Emily Cook NYS Dept. of Ag. and Markets
Jenna Dueppengieser Genessee Valley Feed
Brian Eshenaur Cornell AgriTech – IPM
Jessica Getty Farm Credit East
Brian Hayes My-T-Acres
John Kiehle Yara North America
Joseph Lawrence CU - ProDairy
Sarah Meyer CU – GROW-NY
Kimberley Morrill North Edge
Aissa Murray Brookside Nursery
Mary Murray Muranda Cheese
Patrick Redmond Hermann Weimer Winery
Max Russell Russell Farms
Dahlia Sheehan-Yassin NYCAMH
Olivia Sun Agency 29
Molly Toussaint Udderways
Ashley Tulley Hudson Harvest
Jessica Vila Samascott Orchards
Joel Vollmer Barbland Dairy
Owen Weikert Cyuga Milk Ingredients
Samuel Wood Macari Vineyards

LeadNY is a leadership development program for adult professionals in the food, agriculture, and natural resource sectors. It consists of seminars, workshops, and field travel experiences both in and out of New York State, including an international study trip. The program focuses on leadership skill development, enhanced self-awareness, civic engagement, a greater understanding of issues facing our food system and rural communities and cultivating leadership networks.
Currently, there are over 500 LeadNY alumni. These individuals serve in leadership positions in private business, local, state, and federal government positions, not-for-profit organizations, and educational institutions. As one LeadNY alumnus stated, “LeadNY was an eye-opening experience for me. I not only made lifelong friends, I also learned key skills that have proved useful throughout my career. LeadNY changed my perspective and has helped me be a more knowledgeable leader in my community.”
For more information, contact Larry Van De Valk, Executive Director of LeadNY at 607-255-7907 or at [email protected]. Additional information is also available on the LeadNY website at www.leadny.org.

We’re pleased to announce that the next LeadNY alumni tour will visit Italy from January 9 – 19, 2026! At less than $5,000 per person (double occupancy), this trip will be an excellent, cost-effective way to explore Italy’s food and agricultural landscape, from Milan to Naples. An optional, 3-day extension in Rome will also be offered for those that want to spend a little more time there. The trip is intended for LeadNY alumni/board members and their adult traveling companion (no children, please).
See the attached itinerary for details and register for the trip here. Participation will be limited to 30 participants, and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. A wait list will be developed once the trip is full. Our most recent trip to Morocco filled in about 48 hours, so don’t delay – register today!
We look forward to having you join us for a taste of “La Dolce Vita!” (The Sweet Life)!

Class 20 saying their goodbyes and writing in each others yearbooks. What an AMAZING 18 months it has been!! Friends for life 🫶🏻.

Congratulations Class 20 Fellows!!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

1985-2025!!!

It’s almost show time!! Class 20 commencement and Lead’s 40th anniversary 🥳

You still have time to apply for Class 21! The deadline is this Saturday. Take that first step to transform your life. You won’t regret it!!