CROSSVILLE – Tennessee Farm Bureau member Matthew Janson McClanahan of Crossville was recently selected to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 10th Partners in Advocacy Leadership (PAL) class. The American Farm Bureau created the PAL curriculum as a high-level, executive training program that prepares participants to represent agriculture in the media, public speaking, congressional testimony, and other advocacy arenas. Program graduates gain opportunities to promote awareness about issues important to farmers and consumers.
“Farm Bureau is equipping young leaders for effective engagement,” said Zippy Duvall, AFBF President. “The members of the new PAL class are already elite leaders. We look forward to seeing them progress to the highest levels of agricultural advocacy.”
McClanahan is a licensed attorney and teaches as an adjunct professor in environmental law at Tennessee Tech University. He and his family have a registered polled hereford operation. He is a member of the Cumberland County Farm Bureau, Cumberland County Livestock Producers’ Association, serves on the board of directors for the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation, and is the president of the board of directors for the Tennessee Tech Ag Foundation.
PAL training involves four learning modules designed to develop specific advocacy skills while exploring components of leadership and its theories and philosophies. The modules build on one another over the two years of the program and include intense, in-person, hands-on training.
PAL graduates emerge with the experience and confidence — in everything from legislative policy-making and issues management to social media and media relations — to effectively engage all critical stakeholders.
To be eligible for the PAL program, candidates must be between the ages of 30 and 45, with demonstrated leadership skills. The program is sponsored by the American Farm Bureau, Farm Credit, and Bayer.
