K·Coe Isom Awards Producer Scholarships to Attend TEPAP 2016
California and Ohio Row Crop and Livestock Producers Receive Inaugural Awards
K·Coe Isom, a leading consulting and CPA firm in the food and agriculture industry, has awarded two inspired applicants with full tuition to The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers (TEPAP) 2016.
This year's recipients are Hunter Current from Alturas, CA, and Evan Kamenik from Ashland, OH. Since its inception over 25 years ago, TEPAP has helped more than 1,800 participants across the country increase global awareness, develop leadership skills, and most importantly, manage their organizations more professionally.
"As stated by the founder, Danny Klinefelter, TEPAP is built on seven principles that focus on learning, adapting, strategizing, evaluating, improving, and changing faster than your competition," said Dr. Mark Welch, TEPAP Program Director. "We're teaching operators how to think like executives-to use good timing to their advantage, seeing possibilities before they become obvious to the typical producer. TEPAP creates producers that often rise to be the Top 10%."
Hunter Current, a third-generation owner of Alturas Ranches, was singled out for recognition and sponsorship because, as he puts it, "we possess a spirit of innovation and exploration." Current applied for the program to gain skills needed to manage 30,000 acres of hay, grain, and wild rice, and three cow-calf herds. He wants to receive tools to foster better communication between employees and supervisors. His focus is building talent within the farm's ranks and teaching others to do the same.
"I am fueled by my grandfather's voice in my head challenging my decisions," he said. "I know that a few small tweaks and initiatives can help us grow. I desire to provide the best for family investors, as well as our employees, who are our greatest asset."
Evan Kamenik leads a family farming operation that encompasses 4,000 acres of corn, soybeans, and hay in Northern Ohio. The diversified business also raises 300 feeder calves and owns custom farming, drainage tile, and mulch companies. Kamenik says he applied for the K·Coe Isom scholarship to TEPAP so he could gain insight on business structure and develop long-term goals that will help position him to become a better leader and give back to those who helped him along the way. Looking to the future, Kamenik believes the dynamics of a global economy will continue to impact how things are done in the Midwest.
"I feel there will be a shift to work more directly with the end user as business practices become more specialized," he says. "Recognizing changing trends and adapting to them will be instrumental to our success as more specialization and consolidation occur."
"At K·Coe Isom, we are fully immersed in the food and ag industry. Our people grew up on farms and ranches. They know first-hand how ag operations run and how to make these businesses more efficient. They walk the fields or hop into combines to meet with our clients," said Laura Sands, Ag Leader at K·Coe Isom. "We're in the business to keep farmers and ranchers in business. The 2016 K·Coe Isom TEPAP Scholarship is one way we can make the best resources available. This unique learning experience helps producers see opportunities and embrace change-critical skills for transforming farms and ranches into stronger, more resilient operations."
About TEPAP The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers (TEPAP) is an intensive two-week program featuring classroom sessions led by prominent ag economists and agribusiness specialists, many of whom also own, manage, or participate in large-scale farming or ranching operations. Sponsored by Farm Credit System, John Deere, BASF, and DTN, and administered by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, TEPAP teaches advanced agribusiness skills such as international business development, niche market evaluation, analyzing and forecasting financial position, as well as personnel management and negotiation. TEPAP 2016 will be held January 10-16 at the Omni Barton Creek Resort in Austin, TX.
About K·Coe Isom K·Coe Isom leads, nationally, as consultants and CPAs in the food and agriculture industry-services constituting more than two-thirds of the firm's business. K·Coe Isom was formed in January 2015 upon merging two food and ag powerhouse firms: Kennedy and Coe and Matson and Isom. The firm is embedded throughout the US food-supply chain-from policy to plate-working with producers, input suppliers, processors, packagers, distributors, biofuel manufacturers, equipment dealerships, landowners, lenders, and many agencies and policy organizations that support the industry. The firm also has regional strengths in community banking, construction and real estate development, transportation, education, healthcare, manufacturing, and technology. K·Coe Isom serves domestic and international clientele from 18 coast-to-coast offices. Visit kcoe.com.
11.10.2015