Mary Ann Johnson has been selected to participate in LEAD21 - Leadership Development for the 21st Century: Linking Research, Academics, and Extension. Johnson is a professor and the chairperson for the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences.
LEAD21 is intended to meet the future needs for leadership development of faculty, specialists, program and team leaders, research station and center directors, district and regional directors, department heads and chairs, and others in land grant universities’ colleges of agricultural, environmental, and human sciences, and USDA/NIFA. Their purpose is to develop leaders in land grant institutions and their strategic partners who link research, academics, and extension in order to be more effective in an increasingly complex environment, either in their current position or as they aspire to others.
LEAD21 is a twelve-month development process with each of the three sessions linking to and building upon one another. There are opportunities for self-directed learning experiences between the sessions.
Mary Ann Johnson applied because she wanted to be the "best leader she could be for the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences." During her experience with LEAD21 she will have the opportunity to do an administrative project. She plans to do mentoring for other faculty and graduate students for her project.
Johnson is most looking forward to meeting other administrators who also want to improve their leadership skills, and mentor faculty, staff, and students. She is looking to "create, together, a positive environment for scholarship, teaching, and outreach, through the land grant universities." She is excited to begin this opportunity and learn about new philosophies and strategies for leadership, so she can keep her "toolbox" up-to-date.
Congratulations, Mary Ann Johnson!