Eric Toman, the head of the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship at Colorado State University, has successfully completed the LEAD21 leadership training program. LEAD21 is a prestigious initiative designed to develop leaders in land-grant institutions and their strategic partners across the United States. 

LEAD21 aims to meet the future needs for leadership development of faculty, specialists, program and team leaders, research station and center directors, department heads and chairs, and others in colleges of agricultural, environmental, and human sciences, as well as USDA/NIFA. The program focuses on enhancing leadership skills in individuals who link research, academics, and extension to lead more effectively in today’s increasingly complex environment. 

Over the past year, Toman and other participants met regularly with their peers, both in-person and virtually, to enhance their personal leadership capacity. 

“The program’s deliberate, long-term approach afforded us the chance to delve deeply into both challenges and opportunities,” said Toman. “Regular meetings with a small group of participants provided specific insights from each other’s experiences.” 

Over the past decade, LEAD21 has provided comprehensive leadership development opportunities to professionals from various land-grant universities across the country. Goals of LEAD21 are to enhance the application of skills and knowledge across a set of nine leadership competencies, to develop a network of peer leaders to enhance personal leadership practice, collaboration, and diversity of perspective, and to develop and implement an individual’s leadership development process. 

Eric Toman’s successful completion of LEAD21 underscores CSU’s commitment to cultivating strong leaders who can effectively navigate the challenges and opportunities of today. By participating in LEAD21, Toman has further enhanced his leadership capabilities, which will benefit both the department and the broader CSU community. 

“We congratulate Eric Toman on his accomplishment in completing the LEAD21 leadership training program,” said A. Alonso Aguirre, Dean of the Warner College of Natural Resources. “I am proud of his dedication to professional development, reflecting our university’s commitment to excellence in leadership and innovation in forest and rangeland stewardship.” 

For more information about LEAD21, visit their website.