Twelve Graduate from 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 twelve OABA member graduates who successfully completed the 2026 LAUNCH program include:

• Melanie Blankenship, Eurofins Grain Inspection
• Gayle Chambers, Morral Companies, LLC
• Alex Daniel, Luckey Farmers, Inc
• Ryan Emery, Nutrien Ag Solutions
• Connor Erwin, KOVA of Ohio
• Carson Flynn, Deerfield Ag Services, Inc.
• Clayton Farquer, Nutrien Ag Solutions
• Geoff Galida, Deerfield Ag Services, Inc.
• Mara Schmid, Shift·ology Communication
• Allie Solly, Luckey Farmers, Inc
• Matt Simmons, Versova
• Cody Wright, Global Impact STEM Academy

“OABA is committed to developing the next generation of leaders who will shape Ohio’s agribusiness future,” said Melinda Witten, OABA President & CEO. “Through the LAUNCH program, participants gain essential skills, industry knowledge, and the confidence to advance their careers. We’re proud to support their growth and excited to watch the contributions they will make to our industry.”

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 and their organizations.

The program covers a wide range of topics, including personal insight and advanced leadership skills, strategic planning, critical thinking, change management, goal setting, communication and presentation skills, global issues in agriculture, sales and marketing principles, regional agribusiness trends, and state and local government.

More than 20 different speakers provided their insight through multiple interactive sessions including Annie Gallagher of Gallagher Consulting Group, Evan Hahn and Heather Vidourek of Farm Credit Mid-America, Lisa Woodke of Star of the West, Matt Lis of Crestcom International, Darryl Grayson of DLMG Training Associates, Kyle McCalla of People First Consulting and Amy Zimmerman-Dunham of Vital Fitness.

A signature component of the experience is the personalized capstone project, in which participants select a strategic initiative to implement within their organization. The program also offers valuable networking opportunities, allowing participants to connect, share ideas and build relationships with peers and industry leaders. Participants also toured local agricultural business and OABA member, Cargill.