Hannah Carter

Before becoming director of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute and an assistant professor at the University of Florida, Hannah was in the first class of doctoral students in UF’s Department of Agricultural Education and Communication. In addition to teaching undergraduate- and graduate-level courses, she conducts leadership workshops and presentations throughout the country for various organizations and industries.

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It is the new year and resolutions have been made—as an individual involved in leadership programming, my selfish hope is that people resolve to become more involved in the issues that are impacting their organizations, industries, communities and Florida as a whole.  When leaders are actively involved in these issues, the public becomes involved as well.  From a conversation at the local coffee shop, to speaking at a county commission meeting, to testifying in front of legislative committees—interactions with the public on issues take many forms.  Many times though, the public drive the issues that agriculture and natural resource leaders are compelled to respond to—how can we make this more of a proactive rather than a reactive process?

The Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Center for Public Issues Education are launching a joint effort to determine issues impacting agriculture and natural resources in Florida.  This effort will include opinion leader panels comprised of current and past participants of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute—these panels will be utilized to track the formation and evolution of issues affecting Florida agriculture and natural resources for a two-year period.  Results from these opinion leader polls will provide rapid response decision data for leaders and policy makers.  In addition, other opinion leader groups and the general public will also be polled, to determine what issues are uniquely identified among groups, what issues are shared and what we, as leaders in agriculture and natural resources, should be doing to educate the public on these issues.

We have a great opportunity as leaders not only to share the great stories that are found within Florida’s agriculture and natural resources—from continuously being the strong economic pillar of the Florida economy to the pristineness of Florida’s beaches and seafood after the oil spill—we need to take the opportunity to not only share the benefits found within agriculture and natural resources, but also we need to seize this opportunity to work together to educate those who are misinformed and who do not have the necessary knowledge and information to form sound opinions on these issues.

This new year has also brought new leadership and many new decision-makers to Tallahassee.  Florida is fortunate to have Commissioner Adam Putnam as the new leader of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.  Commissioner Putnam’s vision for Florida agriculture and natural resources industries is impressive and motivating—we need to seize the opportunities that this vision will provide to move forward as an industry.  I also see a great opportunity to collaborate with government, industry and education as we work together on the issues that are impacting us all.  It’s a new year and the opportunities abound!