“Generations of Leadership” is the theme for this year’s Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Women in Ag Leadership Conference 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Scheman Building on the ISU campus in Ames. The conference will feature inspirational speakers who have knowledge and skills that attendees can use to help them succeed in their farm or agribusiness career.

ISU alumnus and keynote speaker Amy te Plate-Church will begin the day by exploring how women can serve the greater good in concert with their individual purpose. Plate-Church will also present a concurrent session where participants will create a personal plan to live their leadership purpose for 2020 and beyond.

The conference will honor six women impacting agriculture. This honor showcases and celebrates women’s unique contributions to a safe and plentiful food supply while enhancing Iowa’s agricultural sustainability. Honorees are Hannah Breckbill, Beth Grabau, Jordan Hansen, Rose Kastner, Liz Kolbe and Monica Lursen.

Succession planning discussed

Succession planning continues to be a much-requested topic, as nearly one-third of all Iowa farmland is owned by women over the age of 65. Rena Striegel will present two concurrent sessions on business succession.

In Striegel’s first session, she’ll cover the importance of demonstrating leadership in a way that creates clarity and certainty rather than fear and mistrust. In her second session, she’ll cover strategies for working through challenging conversations and critical decisions.

Other concurrent sessions include farm stress, negotiation and team building. Anthony Santiago, college projects specialist for ISU Human Sciences Extension, and Tammy Jacobs, hotline coordinator for ISU Human Sciences Extension, will help women offer support and referrals to customers, family members or neighbors who may be experiencing stress on the farm.

Wendy Srnic will share best practices and tips to help women stay calm and approach potentially intimidating negotiations with a well-developed plan. Krisdeena Jansen, human resources learning and development consultant at ISU, will offer a thought-provoking and interactive session on team building. Learn about four group dynamics all teams go through and how to successfully develop your team for higher performance.

Career experiences

The luncheon networking activity will challenge attendees to reflect on their career in agriculture. They will have the opportunity to write down career questions and the afternoon panel will share career experiences and wisdom gained from what they wished they had known earlier in their careers.

Iowa State alumnus Elizabeth Burns-Thompson is the capstone speaker. Among the nation’s first cohort of 30 Under 30 leaders in agriculture, she is passionate about Iowa’s renewable energy. She will encourage women of all generations to follow their dreams and trust their own abilities and opportunities.

Register online. General registration is $60 and student registration $30. For those traveling longer distances, a block of rooms is reserved at Gateway Hotel & Conference Center. Reservations may be made by calling 800-367-2637. Room rates are $99, when you ask for the Women in Ag Leadership Conference room block (availability may be limited after Nov. 26).

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