The Washington Agriculture and Forestry Education Foundation was incorporated on December 16, 1977. This is the story of the inspiration and effort that led to the foundation’s creation and the history of the foundation’s first ten years.

The story began in 1976 while Stu Bledsoe was Director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Vern Divers was an Assistant Director and Supervisor of the Agriculture Development Division. Divers had responsibility for administering the Rural Rehabilitation Trust Funds.

These funds had previously been invested in rural rehabilitation loans through the Farmers Home Administration of the US Department of Agriculture. In the early 1970s, the Farmers Home Administration discontinued the sale of insured loans and requested that the states find other uses for their funds

With Bledsoe’s approval, Divers hired Dr. Arthur Peterson on a personal services contract to identify program needs and priorities, and to determine to what extent Rural Rehabilitation Trust Funds could be used to meet priority needs. Peterson, who had recently retired from Washington State University, identified several possible uses for the funds. They were analyzed and rated on a priority basis.

An agricultural leadership program, similar to one sponsored by Michigan State University with financial aid from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, was given top priority among the alternatives studied.

Dr. Robert Howell, at that time a newcomer to the rural sociology staff of Washington State University, heard about the State Department of Agriculture's interest in an agricultural leadership program. He was professionally interested because he had been in charge of a similar program in Pennsylvania, one of the four state programs which had received financial aid from the Kellogg Foundation. Moreover, Dr. Howell also had a grant from the Kellogg Foundation to assess the impact of these four states' "Public Affairs Leadership Development Programs."

He contacted Vern Divers and suggested that he take a small group to visit California and review their experiences with an agricultural leadership program. The California program had been launched in 1970 by the Council of California Growers with financial help from the Kellogg Foundation.

A group of six people, including Mike Youngquist and Bob Mickelson, representing agriculture, Vern Divers and Dick Harper, representing the Department of Agriculture, Dr. Robert Howell and Dr. Arlen Davison, representing Washington State University, went to California in July, 1977 on an exploratory mission. Upon their return, the group was very enthusiastic about what they had seen and heard. They recommended to the State Department of Agriculture and Dean of the College of Agriculture at WSU that Washington initiate a leadership program similar to the one in California.

Dr. Jack Robins, then Dean of the College of Agriculture, gave his official and personal support to the proposal, as did the new State Director of Agriculture, Gary Strohmaier, and Assistant Director, Dick Harper, who had taken Vern Divers’ place with the change in administration. This was important because the Rural Rehabilitation Funds of the Washington State Department of Agriculture could be used to finance the project with the Director's approval.

The Kellogg Foundation was also asked for financial aid but declined support awaiting the results of Dr. Howell's evaluation. This was not completed until a year later.

An ad hoc committee, with Bob Mickelson as chairman, was formed and held several planning and development meetings. Another important step at that time was to get the support of farm organizations and the forest industry.

Bob Hulbert took the lead with farm organizations and Stu Bledsoe with the forest industry. Stu had accepted a job as Executive Director of the Washington Forest Protection Association after leaving the State Department of Agriculture.

Art Peterson was asked by the ad hoc committee to aid them with publicity about the leadership program and preparation of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws and related matters. He was paid through a personal service contract by the Washington State Department of Agriculture to perform these services. Art Scheunemann also worked with this committee, and later, with the board of directors.

Second California Visit

Another group of lay people, including Bob and Eleanor Laney, Jerry Sandlin, Bob Crandell and several others, went to California in November, 1977 to observe the start of a new leadership class. While there, they talked with Gene Rapp, Dean Brown and other officials of the California Agriculture Leadership Program. They gained valuable insight into that program and, like the earlier group, came back enthused.

Bob Mickelson, Bob Hulbert and Mike Youngquist signed the Articles of Incorporation of the Washington Agriculture and Forestry Education Foundation on December 16, 1977. Soon after that Bob Mickelson was appointed State Director of Agriculture and resigned from the board of directors. He continued to support the Foundation, personally and officially.

The first meeting of the board of directors occurred at Sea-Tac Airport on January 6, 1978. All 20 board members were present. Annual membership dues were set at $100 and charter memberships for five years at $500. Bruce Briggs and Bob Mickelson were the first charter members. Jack Bloxom was elected president of the first board of directors. Other officers were Bob Lundgren and Bob Hulbert, Vice Presidents; Eleanor Laney, Secretary; and Jon Whitman, Treasurer. Joe Leitzinger of Simpson Timber Company and Jack Wolff of the Weyerhaeuser Company accepted board positions soon after the board was organized. Their active participation at this early date provided strong support from the forest industry.

When asked why they supported the leadership program, Leitzinger and Wolff are quoted in the minutes of July 20, 1978 as saying, "Agriculture and forestry share many common problems. Both are renewable natural resource industries. For too long, these industries have not aggressively pursued their needs and explained them to the public. This is why timber companies like Weyerhaeuser and Simpson are interested in this type of leadership program. Forestry is a part of agriculture, just a different crop."

About 200 application forms had been distributed to prospective participants by July, 1978. Coordinators for the first five seminars had been recruited from colleges and businesses. The selection process was developed by a committee appointed by President Jack Bloxom on February 7, 1978. Dr. Bob Lundgren of Walla Walla was chairman. Other members of the committee were Janet Allison, Ed Minnick and Bruce Briggs. Thirty participants and eight alternates were selected for Class 1 using the process developed by this committee. This class was approved by the Board on September 22, 1978.

Class 1 held its first seminar in Yakima on October 26-28, 1978. Gene Rapp, Director of the California leadership program; Dean Brown, President of the California board and several California graduates came to Yakima to help inaugurate the Washington leadership program.

Financial Challenge

To start the financial end of the project, the State Department of Agriculture, at the request of the ad hoc initiating committee, approved a budget of $65,000 from the Rural Rehabilitation Fund. The money was paid and supervised through a personal service contract between the Department and Art Peterson. The ad hoc committee acted as an advisory group until the Foundation was incorporated. The State Department of Agriculture authorized and approved expenditures as submitted to the Assistant Director in charge of the Development Division under terms of the contract.

Financing the Foundation and the Leadership Program has been a challenge from the beginning. It continues to be a challenge that has been met by dedicated people. The cost of an international seminar for Class 1 and recruiting Class 2 to begin its two year program in the fall of 1979 were debated at every board meeting from October, 1978 until the decision to go ahead with Class 2 was made at the board meeting on May 25, 1979. The minutes of that meeting read, "Jack Bloxom agreed with Harold Cox's observation about loss of momentum if the start of Class 2 was postponed. In the past, he said, the Board had made many decisions when the money was not in hand. He made a motion that Class 2 be put on line in the fall of 1979. Cynda Webb seconded the motion. Motion passed.

In July, 1979 after Dr. Howell's evaluation showed favorable results, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation awarded a grant of $200,000 over a four year period, $75,000 in 1979, $50,000 in 1980 and 1981 and $25,000 in 1982. This commitment eased the financial problem but did not eliminate it. The continuing weakness of agriculture and forest product prices in 1981 and 1982 made it especially difficult to get the needed funds.

A professional fund raiser, was hired in July, 1980 to head up the fund raising effort but he was not able to fulfill mutually agreed to goals. Following this, a few board members made an extra effort to raise funds. Their success was good enough that by July 1, 1981, they had turned the situation from a probably cash shortfall to a carry over greater than the amount carried forward on July 1, 1980.

Over the years, in addition to the annual cash receipts and expenditures, large in-kind contributions made a significant difference and are deserving of recognition. These items would have cost thousands of dollars if the foundation had to pay for them. They include:

1. Services performed without charge, or for less than actual cost, by universities, colleges, and businesses.
2. Hosting of meals.
3. Coordinators, facilities, and educational supplies furnished at little or no cost.
4. Seminar speakers who give their time as a public service. Some receive a token honorarium.
5. Travel expenses of board members to meetings.
6. Travel expenses of class participants.
7. Time spent at meetings, in travel, raising money, etc.

Building the Network

Membership in the Foundation has grown over the years. The minutes of the board meeting of July 20, 1978, show a membership of 172. A goal of 300 was set at that meeting; this goal was reached in 1981. Currently the Foundation has over 750 paid members supporting it annually.

In 1982, Art Peterson retired as the Executive Director of the Foundation and Robin Leitzinger was employed as the Executive Director. Under Robin's leadership the program continued its quality seminars and the funding of the program progressed. In the fall of 1984, Robin retired and David Roseleip, a graduate of Class1, was employed by the Foundation and continues to serve as its President.

This program has given board members, participants and contributors opportunity to know and work with dedicated leaders across the state. As Art Peterson said, "Time will water the seeds we have planted and who can guess what the harvest will be." We are thankful to all who made this program possible and look forward to building on the success of this investment in leadership.