DuPont Young Leader Alum Elected to Congress

On Election Day, South Dakotans voted to send state representative Kristi Noem to be their voice in the United States House of Representatives.

Noem's continued emergence as a state leader in South Dakota comes as little surprise to those who know her.  For the last several years, she has been an up-and -comer in South Dakota politics and strong voice for agriculture.

The Representative-elect's development as a leader also has a connection to DuPont and Pioneer. Seven years before being elected to serve in Congress, she represented South Dakota in the DuPont Young Leader program.  This exclusive training program develops the leadership skills of young growers and ranchers. Participants benefit from enlarging their view of future ag needs and networking with other young ag leaders.

Noem, whose family has raised Angus cattle on their ranch near Castlewood, South Dakota, is already making her mark on the nation's Capitol. Politico, a national political news website, named Noem on of the Republican Party's "Insta-Stars," describing her as a "young farmer and rancher with three children and deep roots in a Midwestern state where practicality often trumps ideology."

"Congratulations to Representative-elect Noem on her election to serve the people of South Dakota," said Brian Buckallew, DuPont Young Leader program coordinator. "She is a great example of how Young Leader graduates are making a real and positive impact on agriculture." The 2010 class of the Young Leaders will be visiting the Pioneer Hi-Bred Johnston campus on December 5-8 for intensive, week-long development and will participate in the 2011 Commodity Classic in March for additional training and networking with senior ag leaders.   More information on the Young Leader program can be found at: http://www.soygrowers.com/dyl/.