Three program leaders from the Northern Marianas College’s Cooperative Research, Extension, and Education Services were recently accepted into the LEAD21 – Leadership Development for the 21st Century: Linking Research, Academics, and Extension program. They competed with applicants from across the land-grant university system for a seat in the upcoming cohort.
The LEAD21 program is intended to meet the future needs for leadership development of faculty, specialists, program and team leaders, research station and center directors, district and regional directors, department heads and chairs, and others in land grant universities’ colleges of agricultural, environmental, and human sciences, and United States Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
The three accepted are Mike Ogo, Aquaculture and Natural Resources Program Leader, Tayna Belyeu-Camacho, Family, Community, and Youth Development Program Leader, and Dr. Virendra Verma, Agriculture Production Program Leader.
“We are proud of our team members and their selection to this leadership program,” Frankie Eliptico, NMC Interim President, said.
"Mike, Tayna, and Virendra continue to demonstrate their commitment to developing themselves personally and professionally so that they can develop other leaders and can continue to enhance the CNMI, region, and nation,” NMC CREES Interim Dean Patricia Coleman said.
LEAD21 program director Dr. Rochelle Sapp congratulated the three on their selection.
“The LEAD21 Board of Directors is pleased that you applied for the program and looks forward to your participation,” Sapp said in a letter to the program leaders.
The program consists of a one-year core curriculum that includes three sessions and a concurrent individual learning component. A participant’s leadership competencies are enhanced using a combination of exposure, information, knowledge and practice.
Northern Marianas College Cooperative Research, Extension, and Education Services provides research and technical advice in the fields of agriculture, aquaculture, natural resources, community and youth development, health, and nutrition that is locally sustainable, environmentally safe, and economically feasible, in order to enhance the well-being and improve the quality of life of the people living in the CNMI.
For more information on NMC-CREES, visit crees.marianas.edu.