Jonah Olson, Resource Conservation Technician Graduates from Statewide Leadership Program

August 22, 2023 by Kristie Williams

The West Otter Tail Soil and Water Conservation District is proud to congratulate Jonah Olson, Resource Conservation Technician, for successfully completing a one-year leadership development program sponsored by the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD).

The 2022-2023 MASWCD Leadership Program brought together 28 participants from across the state to strengthen their leadership capacity for conservation work in Minnesota. The group was comprised of local SWCD staff and board members, staff from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, and regional staff from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. 

The group met for seven in-depth multi-day sessions focused on leadership topics including: building personal leadership skills, developing shared vision, practicing ethical leadership, strengthening team leadership, facilitation and communicating to make a difference. 

Jonah Olson, “This program helped me to challenge the perception that I had of myself, and I learned that leadership opportunities can present themselves in many ways.  I’m excited and proud to help lead Minnesota’s conservation successes into the future along with my leadership cohort from across the state.”

This was the 13th group to complete the statewide leadership program; more than 260 staff and elected supervisors from county, state, and federal agencies working in conservation have completed the program since 1996. The content is designed and delivered by staff of the University of Minnesota Extension in partnership with the president of Leadership Tools consulting firm. For further information about the MASWCD Leadership Program, contact the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts at 651-690-9028 or visit the MASWCD website at www.maswcd.org. 

The West Otter Tail SWCD focuses on local assistance which ranges from working with individual landowners to federal agencies along with other units of government such as counties, cities, townships and watershed districts. The SWCD offers many services such as technical and financial assistance, project design and installation of conservation practices for residents of Otter Tail County.  

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