The Leadership & Professional Development Committee has free training opportunities you don't want to miss!
By Julie McConnell, Chair
ANREP Leadership and Professional Development Committee
In 2025, the Leadership and Professional Development Committee offered a series of free webinars focused on innovative ways to deliver programs and communicate effectively using a variety of platforms. If you missed attending live, these webinars are available On-Demand and you can learn more about the series in the December 2025 newsletter.
This year our webinar series theme is Leadership Development Skills for Science Educators and we will be kicking off the season in May. Since these topics can be quite in-depth sessions will be 60-120 minutes as noted below. This free webinar series is open to ANREP members and non-members through the Forestry Webinar Portal https://forestrywebinars.net/upcoming-webinars-1.
May 28, 2026, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. EST
The Key to High-Performing Teams
Discover how successful teams rely on flexible collaboration and ingenuity to overcome adversity, and the essential element to help your team win!
Karl Bradley, Leadership & Team Development Specialist, Extension Foundation
August 11, 2026, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. EST
Leading through Mentorship: Coaching Skills that Build Capacity in Extension
Effective mentorship is a leadership skill that strengthens people, programs, and organizations. This webinar explores practical coaching and mentoring strategies Extension professionals can use to support colleagues, develop confidence, and build long-term capacity. Participants will reflect on their mentoring approach and leave with tools they can apply immediately in real-world Extension settings.
Dr. Matt Benge, Associate Professor, UF/IFAS Agricultural Education and Communication
September 24, 2025, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST
Developing Effective Listening Skills
This workshop on active listening gives participants practical tools to notice, interpret, and respond to others with greater clarity. It also guides them in applying these skills to strengthen communication, trust, and collaboration in both personal relationships and professional environments.
Dr. Megan Cantrell, Associate Instructional Professor of Agricultural Leadership Education, UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication
October 6, 2026, 12:00 – 2:00 pm EST
Conflict Prevention and Management: Sources of Conflict
This session will explore multiple sources of conflict and identify tools to prevent or management conflict that arises from these sources.
Joy Hazell, State Specialized Agent in Facilitation and Conflict Management, UF/IFAS Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences
Download the webinar series flyer
Prefer in-person learning?
The LPD Committee will be teaching a 75-minute Organized Session at the ANREP Conference on May 14, 2026. Communicating for Change: Media Tools to Drive Engagement in Natural Resource Issues, will review The Rule of Three and Storyboarding basics giving participants the tools to craft a plan for a short form video. We hope to see you in Wilmington!
For more information about these programs or joining the Leadership & Professional Development Committee please reach out to Julie McConnell at juliebmcconnell@ufl.edu.
