Wesley Davis, of Point Pleasant, W.Va., has been selected as a 2013-14 Agriculture Future of America Campus Ambassador. Davis is one of 16 students selected through a competitive application process to represent Agriculture Future of America on their respective campuses and to the organization’s corporate partners.

Davis said he looks forward to connecting his fellow students at West Virginia University with the organization’s opportunities.

“I am excited to share the resources offered through AFA and show people the incredible opportunities of the agriculture industry,” he said.

Throughout the year of service, Davis and his fellow ambassadors will foster AFA’s relationships with students, faculty and staff on their campuses. Agriculture Future of America is a non-profit organization providing leader development, intern support and leader and academic scholarships to young men and women pursuing careers in the agriculture and food industry.

“AFA’s opportunities and resources are incredible,” Davis said. “It truly changes every student it touches.”

The agribusiness management student describes the organization as a natural extension of a career development organization like FFA, and Davis should know. He’s served as West Virginia state president of the FFA.

“AFA emphasizes the soft skills that are required to really succeed in these industries,” Davis said, mentioning resume development, communications, and leadership as examples.

While the organization has been active in the American Midwest, it’s now engaged in a process of expanding toward coastal regions. Davis is happy to help introduce the organization to the Mid-Atlantic, with its micro-farms and artisan agricultural markets.

“This is a great chance for WVU students to experience agriculture and natural resource economies of scale in the Midwest, but also for AFA to expand its reach into smaller enterprises,” Davis said.

The AFA Campus Ambassadors also help staff the AFA Leaders Conference. Held Nov. 7-10 in Kansas City, Mo., this event is AFA’s core leader development program and will draw more than 500 collegiate leaders from across the nation. More than 150 industry professionals will engage with Davis and his peers throughout the Conference environment.

Davis’s Agriculture Future of America involvement complements his experiences in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, preparing him for future success.

He said of his role as a campus ambassador: “It will give me the chance to share the AFA message and be a catalyst for students at West Virginia University to be involved.”

Davis’ entrance into the AFA leader development program began his freshman year of college when he was awarded a national AFA Leader and Academic Scholarship. Since then he has attended one year of AFA Leaders Conference and has been selected as a 40 Chances Fellows program participant. In addition to his involvement with AFA, Davis has also been active in other organizations, including National FFA and National Future Business Leaders of America. Davis also owns and operates Turkey Creek Poultry Farm.

AFA’s mission is to create partnerships that identify, encourage and support outstanding college men and women who are preparing for careers in the agriculture and food industry. With student participation increasing 70 percent in the last five years, AFA leader development programs have impacted 9,000 college leaders and young professionals from more than 200 colleges and universities throughout 43 states since its inception in 1996. AFA has awarded more than $8 million in academic and leader development scholarships. For more information about the organization, visit www.agfuture.org or contact Megan Karlin at Megan.Karlin@agfuture.org.

-WVU-

dw/09/04/13

CONTACT: David Welsh, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design
304-293-2394, david.welsh@mail.wvu.edu

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