ARLINGTON, VA – More than thirty years ago the U.S. rice industry decided to invest in itself by creating the Rice Leadership Development Program to identify future leaders and help them hone their skills. Few industry programs are as widely and universally respected, and on episode 19 of
The Rice Stuff podcast the program steps into the spotlight.
“About 200 men and women have gone through the two-year program and we had four very distinguished alumni join the podcast, including the guy who now runs the program, Dr. Steve Linscombe,” said show co-host Lesley Dixon.
California rice farmer Kim Gallagher, Louisiana rice farmer and merchant Scott Franklin, and Missouri rice farmer and equipment dealer Paul T. Combs shared their experiences with the program, including why they applied and the most valuable thing they took away from the sessions.
“The Rice Leadership Development program is really special because not only does it groom future leaders, it creates a support network for very accomplished people in the field,” said show co-host Michael Klein. “The camaraderie amongst these four, and all the program graduates I know, is palpable. It’s nice to see and hear them talk fondly about their fellow alumni and their experiences. And I’m also glad we got to talk about the Chuck Wilson, who is now retired, but without whom the program would not have been nearly as successful.”
The Rice Leadership Development Program is sponsored by American Commodity Company, John Deere, and RiceTec, and is administered by The Rice Foundation. Applications for the next leadership class will be available this summer at
usarice.com and the class will be selected in December.
New episodes of
The Rice Stuff are published on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month and can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. All episodes and additional information can be found on the podcast’s dedicated website at
thericestuffpodcast.com. The site includes a “Podcast 101” section on the “About” page for people new to the medium and a means to reach out to the show hosts and guests via the “Talk to Us” button.