Nine Graduate from Ohio AgriBusiness Association’s LAUNCH Program

Program Prepares Future Agribusiness Leaders

Nine Ohio agribusiness leaders were recognized as the latest graduates of Ohio AgriBusiness Association’s LAUNCH program.

Hosted by the Ohio AgriBusiness Association, in partnership with Shift-ology Communication, the LAUNCH program is geared to help Ohio agribusinesses Elevate People, Elevate Ideas and Elevate the Industry. Participants were identified by their companies as emerging agribusiness leaders:  individuals with a desire to meet higher level goals than the scope of their current positions, who seek to rise within their companies.

The nine OABA member graduates who successfully completed the 2025 LAUNCH program include:

• Bryce Clary, Nutrien Ag Solutions
• Jacquie Daniel, Morral Companies, LLC
• Nichole Daniel, Centerra Co-op
• Abigail Hurst, Consolidated Grain & Barge Co.
• Samantha Johnson, Deerfield Ag Services, Inc.
• Bryce Mosher, Nutrien Ag Solutions
• Ryan Parthemore, Morral Companies, LLC
• Olivia Pflaumer, Global Impact STEM Academy
• Nathan Simon, Legacy Farmers Cooperative

"OABA is committed to developing strong leaders who will drive the future of Ohio agribusiness," said Melinda Witten, OABA president & CEO. "Through the LAUNCH program, these graduates have gained critical skills, industry insight and the confidence to take their careers to the next level. We are proud to support their growth and look forward to seeing the impact they make."

LAUNCH is a transitional training – empowering employees to meet higher level goals, going beyond the scope of their current position. Agribusinesses continually compete with all industries to recruit and retain the best talent, but there is also a need to invest in those who are already passionate about agriculture.

Program topics and skills practiced included: personal insight, next-level leadership skills and decision making including strategic planning, critical thinking, change management, goal setting and organizational skills; communication and presentation skills; global issues in agriculture; sales and marketing principles; Ohio/regional trends in agribusiness; state and local government; and a personalized capstone project.

Other staples of the LAUNCH experience are networking opportunities, webinars and the capstone project – a key component of LAUNCH where the participant selects a strategic project to implement at his or her place of business.

More than 20 different speakers provided their insight through multiple interactive sessions including Annie Gallagher of Gallagher Consulting Group, Larry Gerber of Farm Credit Mid-America, Lisa Woodke of Start of the West, Matt Lis of Crestcom International, Gary Weidenborner of Co Bank, Darryl Grayson of DLMG Training Associates and Amy Zimmerman-Dunham of Vital Fitness. Participants also toured local fertilizer company and OABA member, Morral Companies, LLC.