BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – John Grant and Kacie Kaufman graduated from Illinois Farm Bureau’s Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT) program, a comprehensive leadership development course, on March 20.
Grant and Kaufman, members of McLean County Farm Bureau, were a part of the 25-member graduating class in 2025. Now in its 46th year, ALOT has graduated more than 1,200 leaders since 1979. The seven-session course featured experts in communication skills, political process, ag economics and global issues. Through a broad range of process and content skills, graduates enrich leadership abilities and enhance agriculture’s voice in Illinois. Past graduates have included past and current Illinois state legislators and agricultural influencers across Illinois. Various leaders of the Illinois Farm Bureau have graduated from the ALOT program, including past President Rich Guebert, Jr., and current Vice President Evan Hultine.
“For more than 40 years, ALOT has played a critical role in developing agricultural leadership in the state,” IFB President Brian Duncan said. “We are proud of the 2025 graduates who have taken the initiative to better themselves, their communities and agriculture as a whole.”
Grant is the agribusiness underwriting operations manager at COUNTRY Financial. He grew up in Bloomington. After a short time away after graduating college, he moved back to the area to be closer to his family. He began his career with COUNTRY as a farm underwriter and moved to a few positions within the area before ultimately becoming the manager in 2020. While working at COUNTRY, he went back to school to get an M.S. in natural resources and environmental science. He and his wife, Jana, have two girls, Lillie, 5, and Abby, 2, which keep him plenty busy. They like to play outdoors, read books, and watch movies.
“I really appreciate the ALOT program for intentionally providing the class with practical tools they can use in their own development and resources we can use to further advocate for agriculture,” Grant said. “The program also had many educational sessions to help the class engage in healthy dialogue, serve our communities and become better leaders. I’ve been impressed with the diversity of different educational sessions, many of which I’ve only experienced through ALOT. Going through the program with a class that approached it with open mindedness and vulnerability really helped me get the most out of each session.”
Kaufman is a safety and environmental engagement specialist at GROWMARK. In her role, she works to engage the FS System with safety initiatives and challenges the standard to drive continuous improvement. She holds an MBA from Illinois State University and has earned certifications in Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt and Lean Leader. Outside of work, Kacie is an animal lover with three dogs, two cats and a handful of reptiles. She and her partner love exploring zoos and never pass up the chance to visit a new one.
“I would recommend ALOT to anyone that is looking to learn more about Illinois Farm Bureau, the issues that ag faces, or if you are just looking to grow as a leader and individual,” Kaufman said. “This program challenges you, but in the best why possible.”
The 2025 ALOT graduating class heard from nearly 30 speakers, with topics ranging from ag economics to state and local government policy to communication and professionalism and more. Sessions are designed to give participants a head-start on tackling tomorrow’s leadership responsibilities.
Applications for the 2026 ALOT program will be available in September.
