A program coordinator has been hired to launch the Ranch Management and Agriculture Leadership Program in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming.
Pepper Jo Six is being contracted by the college to work with stakeholders across the region and faculty members to get the program off the ground. The appointment was announced during the Wyoming Stock Growers Association annual meeting in Casper last week.
The Ranch Management and Agriculture Leadership Program was created through a $1.5 million gift from Farm Credit Services of America and matched by the state of Wyoming to train the next generation of ranch managers, wildland and recreation professionals and those seeking to broaden their expertise in agricultural leadership.
"We are thrilled to have received this gift from Farm Credit Services of America to launch this program, which will meet important state needs and have broad-reaching impact across the region," says Barbara Rasco, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Six previously served as the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources student recruitment coordinator, in the university admissions office and as a UW Foundation major gifts officer.
"I have always championed the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources," Six says. "So, for me, it is like coming home. Dean Rasco is a great leader and, with this gift from Farm Credit Services of America, we can create a much-needed program for Wyoming and beyond."
The programs will offer three levels: professional development and certification for current career ranch managers and agricultural leaders, and bachelor's degree and postbaccalaureate education in ranch management and agricultural leadership.
Each level incorporates workforce development, practical experiences, research-based technical knowledge and real-world problem-solving through interactions with industry leaders throughout the West.
Six will collaborate with faculty members to determine which program should be launched first among the certificate, bachelor's and postbaccalaureate options.
A center director will be hired later. The director will be a tenured faculty member at the full associate professor rank and provide academic leadership and advocacy for the program long-term, teach in the program, and manage relationships with donors and stakeholders, Six says.
