Mark Stewart: Shaping Agribusiness Futures: Intentional Actions and Young Talent

The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast

Mark Stewart serves as the president and CEO of Agriculture Future of America (AFA). He is responsible for leading the organization’s external relationships and strategic planning processes for short and long-term growth. He joined AFA in June 2011 as director of development and communications. Mark was formerly the director of development and communications for the Don Bosco Centers, Kansas City, Missouri, where he supervised all development, fundraising and communications operations for the centers. He previously served as the vice president of Hartsook Companies, Inc., Wichita, Kansas, and held development roles for both Avila University and Northwest Missouri State University.

Mark is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University where he received both his B.S. and M.B.A. degrees. He also earned his doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Missouri. Mark serves on the Board of Directors for the American Royal Association as well as Together We Grow, an agricultural diversity consortium. He is also a Farm Foundation Round Table Fellow and is active with many other industry associations and national meetings. Past volunteer involvement has included America’s Heartland advisory board, Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Northland Career Center (Kansas City) agricultural education advisory board, Northeast Kansas City HELP Center, Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Kansas City and serving on the Leadership Council at his church. Personally, Mark is married to his wife Megan, together raising their four daughters in Kansas City, Missouri.

In this intriguing episode of the "Intentional Agribusiness Leader," Mark Jewell invites Mark Stewart to discuss the crucial role of intentional action in both personal and business contexts. This conversation offers valuable insights into how agribusiness leaders can actively cultivate a future-ready industry by investing in young talent.

Mark Stewart delves into the necessities of intentional actions, emphasizing meaningful, action-oriented, and focused endeavors in both the professional sphere and beyond. He articulates the influential activities of AFA and its commitment to nurturing undergraduate talent through networking, competency development, and career exploration.

Listeners can expect to explore the importance of building and leveraging personal networks before their need arises. As Mark Stewart illustrates how AFA facilitates connections between students and industry professionals, this episode serves as an essential resource for understanding the dynamics of human capital development in agribusiness.

Key Takeaways:

• The power of intention lies in meaningful actions that are followed through with focus and determination.
• Networking is not only about building connections but also about leveraging them with intentional and purposeful actions.
• The AFA, represented by Mark Stewart, plays a pivotal role in shaping young talent within the agribusiness sector, emphasizing the triad of networking, competency building, and career exploration.
• Implementing practices such as stay interviews can significantly contribute to understanding and improving employee engagement and retention.
• Leadership vulnerability and humility are key components in overcoming professional hurdles and creating a healthy organizational culture.

Notable Quotes:

• "You have to stay focused on it. And so I think, again, there's genuine meaning behind it. It's action oriented and you have some focus to it."
• "We're just rising the tide again. We're helping grow the competencies of young people building their network to be more eclectic than it would otherwise be."
• "The important keys is that you have to separate it from the performance review."
• "If you chase perfection, we can catch excellence."
• "How do you let that go and get moving again in a positive mindset after you've gotten over that hurdle?"

Tune in to the full episode to gain an in-depth understanding of the principles discussed and to witness the engaging dialogue between Mark Jewell and Mark Stewart as they dissect the elements that contribute to intentional leadership and strategic human capital development in agribusiness. Keep following the "Intentional Agribusiness Leader" podcast for more insightful dialogues and expert perspectives.