Editor's note:
There’s a podcast I listen to that asks the same questions of its guests at the end of every episode: Who’s a great manager you have worked for?
My answer is Linda Butkus.
We don’t normally mention staff comings and goings in this newsletter, but there is a notable retirement coming up this month. Linda, our Chief Administrative Officer, is leaving us after nearly six years.
Linda was hired for this then newly-created position in response to staff growth. She helped alleviate the workload of our leadership, was in charge of handbooks and board development, made sure more of our systems were intentional, led human resources efforts, and more. And, most importantly to me, she became my manager.
She has helped me make strides in my own leadership and has assisted in taking the Center’s communications to new heights. When Linda started, she didn’t know much about the nitty gritty parts of communications, like social media analytics and media outreach, but she was willing to listen and learn.
As Brené Brown says, “A brave leader is someone who says I see you. I hear you. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m going to keep listening and asking questions.”
Linda—thank you for listening, asking questions, and being brave. You have made a difference.
-Rhea Landholm
In this edition:
Latino farmer believes healthy food goes hand in hand with healthy soil — Sandro Lopes feels the most important thing people can do when farming is to care for the soil and environment.
Rural advocates honored by Center for Rural Affairs — Each year, we honor the rural champions who help us accomplish so much for rural America. Your actions and your values lay the foundation for a better rural future.
Business owner creates welcoming atmosphere for entrepreneurs and community — When Maria Dolores Arias Villalpando started working at Laundry Mex, LLC, in Grand Island, Nebraska, she had no idea she’d eventually own the business and the building it’s in, plus become a property manager to other immigrant business owners like herself.
New Heartland Regional Food Business Center to support farm and food businesses — The Center for Rural Affairs is among more than 30 partners working together to increase business development assistance to small, mid-size, and diverse food and farm entrepreneurs in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and northwest Arkansas.
Capitalizing on wind energy is essential to rural growth — Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing sources of electricity across the nation. A handful of Midwest states like Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota are leading the charge in its development, according to recent reports from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Congress must maintain support for conservation funding — Farm bill negotiations that began in 2023 are now on Congress’s to-do list for 2024, and an unclear path toward passage remains. However, even as lawmakers will be required to divide their attention among a number of issues in the coming months, the Center will continue to focus on advocacy for its farm bill priorities—specifically, protecting conservation program funding.
From the desk of the executive director: Center proposes $100 million low-income solar project — The Center for Rural Affairs recently submitted a $100 million proposal to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar for All grant competition. The Solar for All program will make $7 billion available nationally to facilitate low-income and historically disadvantaged community participation in residential solar energy.
Thank you to our 2023 donors — We’re pleased to honor our 2023 donors. Your generosity and dedication empower the Center’s work to build a vibrant, welcoming, and just rural America.
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