J.W. Wells, Kansas Bankers Association, has been selected to join Class XVIII of the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership (KARL) Program. The KARL Program is a prestigious leadership development experience to identify, prepare and connect aspiring leaders to spark action and positively impact Kansas agriculture and rural communities. Up to 30 Kansans from across the state, involved in agriculture or rural community leadership positions, are selected to participate. Over the course of two years, J.W. will participate in seminars across the state, a domestic study tour, a national study tour to Washington D.C. and an international study tour to one or more countries.
J.W.’s selection and participation in the KARL Program is meaningful, as his takeaways and growth will better enable him to advocate and support the Kansas banking industry. “Community banks are a cornerstone of rural communities; they extend capital to farms, businesses and families alike, they support important causes, and bankers often serve in local leadership roles in the community. My role is to be part of a 40-member staff team to preserve the community banking model, ensuring that banking remains locally driven,” J.W. said.
In his role as the Ag Division Coordinator & Government Relations Assistant, J.W.’s duties align with his commitment and passion for agriculture and rural communities. He works closely with ag bankers to plan the KBA’s annual Kansas Ag Bankers Conference and to support agriculture organizations. J.W. is a member of the Government Relations team, where he specializes in agriculture and water policy. Lastly, J.W. manages the KBA’s Internship Connection Program, where he assists KBA-member banks and trust companies to recruit the next generation of banking professionals.
By the end of his time in the program, J.W. hopes to have gained a global understanding of the challenges facing agriculture and rural Kansas so he can advocate for banking to be part of the solution. Additionally, he hopes to strengthen his decision-making and analytical skills to contribute to and lead highly effective teams.
He said, “I am blessed to be selected to join the KARL Program and to spend the next two years diving deep into the many successes and challenges that Kansas agriculture and rural communities have. I look forward to connecting with my classmates and using the knowledge and experience gained to strengthen and support the Kansas banking industry.”
