UW Center for Cooperatives
Fostering critical thinking and understanding about cooperatives.

Agricultural Cooperative Director Training 2023

University of Minnesota, Land O’Lakes Member Relations, and the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives will host a director leadership program in January 2023!

Training topics will include:

  • Strategy: director oversight through impending CEO and senior staff retirements, how to move past inertia, and onboarding process for new leadership.
  • Building an Effective Board: director selection, board evaluations, and director compensation.
  • Finance: examining balance sheet equity, cooperative capital, and finance.
  • Human Resources: workforce recruitment and alternative staffing of work shifts, managing with fewer employees in the future.
  • Co-op Director 101: this session is designed for newly elected directors and directors who have not received formal cooperative board training. The training will focus on roles and responsibilities of directors.

This highly interactive program will include small group exercises at tables between directors using flip charts and extensive questions and answers with the speakers. A variety of speakers will present, and the program will be facilitated by Professor Michael Boland of the University of Minnesota and Naomi Mangold, Senior Director, Land O’Lakes.

Who should attend: this training is developed for directors of agricultural cooperatives. Senior cooperative leadership is also welcome to attend.

Training Details

Minnesota

Dates: January, 5, 2023, 11:30 a.m. CT – January 6, 2023, 12 p.m. CT

Training Location: Country Inn and Suites, 1900 Premier Dr, Mankato, MN 56001 Map

Lodging: Country Inn and Suites, 1900 Premier Dr, Mankato, MN 56001 

Attendees are responsible for making and paying for their own lodging arrangements with the hotel.

Agenda

Wisconsin – CANCELLED

Dates: January, 18, 2023, 11:30 a.m. CT – January 19, 2023, 12 p.m. CT

Please consider attending the Mankato training.

 

Registration

Rates:

  • Individual attendee: $375/person
  • Team rate (3 or more attendees from the same co-op) $325/person

Register

Registration includes: Lunch, Coffee Breaks, and Evening Reception on First Day, Continental Breakfast and Coffee Break on Second Day, and Educational Materials

Attendees are required to make their own lodging arrangements at the contracted hotel. Lodging costs are not included in the registration fee.

Agricultural Co-op Director Training

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Feedback from attendees of the 2022 Director Training:

  • “Very interesting speakers this year. I learned a lot. Several topics to bring back to the boardroom.”
  • “Very well worth attending.”
  • “I thought the program was well put together, the discussions were excellent and I got a lot out of them.”

Training Partners

logos for University of Minnesota, Land O'Lakes Inc, University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, and Cooperative Network.