MARL Accepting Applications for Class 14

Published Wednesday, April 01, 2026

Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program

The application deadline for Class 14 of the Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership (MARL) program is April 30, 2026 and program Executive Director Brad Schloesser is anticipating another outstanding group of ag leaders when the class kicks off its 23-month cohort in November 2026.

Individuals are encouraged to apply who are:

Dedicated to agriculture and rural Minnesota.
Committed to the program with time and energy.
Residents of Minnesota, 21 years or older.
Developing and experienced leaders in the community or other organizations.
Open-minded and willing to engage with differences.
Devoted to learning and personal growth.
Able to bring unique experiences and viewpoints to the cohort.

Participants are expected to attend eleven seminars during the 23-month program period; mostly in-person, but also with online content. The time commitment for seminars of MARL Class 14 will be 16 days in Year One (2026-27) and 21 days in Year Two (2027-28). Nine seminars rotate to different locations around the state, giving participants a first-hand view of the different types of agriculture and ag-related industries in Minnesota. In Year Two, seminars will also be held in Washington, D.C. as well as abroad with the destination to be determined by the MARL board and announced in Summer 2027.

The international study tour destinations have included locations such as Morocco, Cuba, Croatia, Ecuador, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

Thirty applicants are selected for each class, and application forms can be found here: http://www.marlprogram.org/application-forms/.

Applicants are interviewed via Zoom in early June with the board of directors selecting the class members and a formal announcement released in early July.

“As an alumnus of the MARL Program myself, I can attest to the life-changing experience that participants can expect,” said Schloesser. “The program is rigorous but the opportunity for growth is limitless. The program prepares individuals who are passionate about agriculture to assume great leadership roles and to affect positive change in agriculture across this great state.”

For more information on the MARL program, visit www.MARLProgram.org or call Executive Director Brad Schloesser at 507-537-7488 or Brad.Schloesser@smsu.edu.

Application information is available at: https://www.marlprogram.org/application/

History of the MARL Program: In 1998, Southwest Minnesota State University engaged the Humphrey Institute and Extension at the University of Minnesota on a two-year research and development project. Their study led to the development of a two-year program plan, and the first MARL class was selected in 2000, with the first MARL seminar in November of that year. Since then, new classes have begun every two years. Today, MARL is known throughout the state as the premier agriculture and rural leadership development program.

Tim Alcorn served as the founding Executive Director of MARL from its inception until March 2011, when he accepted another assignment at Southwest Minnesota State University. Dan Hoffman led MARL from January 2012 until his retirement in January 2015. Olga Reuvekamp was named Executive Director in March 2015 and served in this role until October 2022. Brad Schloesser, MARL Class XII Alumnus, administers the program today from the MARL office at SMSU in Marshall, and he began in his new role in December 2022. He currently supports MARL Class Members, Alumni, and Sponsors, promoting the agriculture industry, leadership, and rural community vitality in this role. Brad works virtually from wherever agricultural events are conducted to support our state’s best agriculture & rural leadership program.

Toby Spanier (since 2019), Leadership Extension Specialist with the University of Minnesota Extension, serves as the current Program Leader. Before that, Christy Kallevig (2018-2022) was teamed with Toby as co-program leaders, providing expertise in curriculum development and delivery. Toby’s office is located at the University of Minnesota Extension Regional Office in Willmar. They followed founding Program Leaders Mike Liepold and Eriks Dunens in their role. Brad and Toby work collaboratively in support of the MARL Program. A unique and productive fit for the two systems that support MARL cooperatively: Southwest Minnesota State University, an institution of Minnesota State Colleges & Universities, and the University of Minnesota Extension Program.

MARL’s Board of Directors directs the advice and guidance.