The 2016 recipient of the Allen G. Blezek Friend of LEAD Award is Dr. Don Swoboda.
This very prestigious award is presented annually, by the Nebraska LEAD Alumni Association, to an individual and/or organization who has a distinguished history of providing outstanding support to the Nebraska LEAD Program.
Dr. Swoboda is a Nebraskan, born and raised on a dry-land farm in Stanton County Nebraska where he attended a one-room rural elementary school in that area and then graduated valedictorian from Stanton High School. He attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he received all three of his degrees in Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Education and Adult and Continuing Education.
His professional career spanned some 43 years with 20 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln serving in various administrative posts including many years as both Assistant Director and Associate Dean and Associate Director of Nebraska Extension. Dr. Swoboda then went on to serve as Vice Provost for Extension at the University of Missouri in Columbia, the Dean of Extended University at the University of Arizona in Tucson, the Dean of Continuing Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and then as Founding Dean of the Division of Extended Learning and Outreach at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green.
Dr. Swoboda, along with the IANR Vice Chancellor, the Deans of the College, Extension, and Experiment Station at that time, heard a common concern as they traveled the state and “that concern dealt with a way to continue the strong agricultural leadership across all areas of the agricultural industry and to address the critical need for training the next generation of leaders – – the future spokespersons, decision makers, and problem solvers for the industry of Nebraska Agriculture at the local, state, and national levels.” Soon a group of five agricultural leaders were appointed, including Dr. Swoboda, to meet on campus to discuss the issue and brainstorm possibilities.
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After several meetings of this group of five, one of the stronger national leadership programs identified was the California program that had started with a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. It was decided to try something similar in Nebraska as IANR had good contacts with the Kellogg Foundation and the Agriculture Builders of Nebraska agreed to serve as a partner with IANR on the initial grant proposal to Kellogg.
Throughout the process Dr. Swoboda represented IANR on the informal steering committee and the initial Board of Director’s for The Nebraska LEAD Program. The group of five eventually evolved into the Nebraska Agricultural Leadership Council. Dr. Swoboda was heavily involved with the initial administration of the LEAD Program and served as the go-between for IANR and startup issues that had to be quickly resolved. Within a year of the approval of the Kellogg grant – LEAD I started. Thirty four years later, the program continues to be recognized as one of the finest in the country because of those early founders like Dr. Swoboda.
Dr. Swoboda has been married to his wife Ginny for 50 years and they have two daughters and three grandchildren. He retired in October of 2010 and he and his wife live in Chandler, Arizona in the Valley of the Sun.
Congratulations go out to Dr. Swoboda and appreciation for his on-going support for the LEAD program!