IALF to Honor Agricultural Leaders Whose Impact Spans Generations

The Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation (IALF) will honor seven agricultural leaders, recognizing five with the prestigious Torch of Leadership Award and two with the inaugural Rising Flame Award. The awards will be presented Friday, Dec. 4, at the Aaron Leetch Club at Illinois State University in Normal.

Together, this year’s honorees tell a story of agricultural leadership across generations. Their contributions range from helping establish Illinois agriculture’s premier leadership program and leading state and national agricultural organizations to mentoring future leaders, advocating for farmers and finding new ways to connect consumers and policymakers with agriculture.

The Torch of Leadership Award recognizes agricultural leaders whose careers reflect a lasting commitment to agriculture, rural communities and the development of others. This year, IALF is also introducing the Rising Flame Award to recognize IALF alumni who are earlier in their leadership journeys but already making an impact on agriculture and their communities.

The 2026 Torch of Leadership Award recipients are:

Dean Campbell, Edwardsville — IALP Class of 1986

For more than 50 years, Dean Campbell has paired farming in southern Illinois with service to agriculture at the local, state and national levels. His leadership has included chairing the Soy Transportation Coalition and serving on the American Soybean Association board.

More recently, Campbell helped establish the Illinois Wheat Development Board, which administers the state’s first wheat checkoff program, and continues to serve as the board’s treasurer. His commitment to developing agricultural leaders has also remained close to home through his continued support of IALF, including recruiting sponsorships and mentoring fellows in the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program.

Ken and Julie Maschhoff, Carlyle — Ken, IALP Class of 1988; Julie, IALP Class of 1996

For four decades, Ken and Julie Maschhoff have demonstrated the impact of leadership built together, transforming a family pork operation into one of the nation’s most influential agricultural enterprises while serving producers, developing people and investing in rural communities. Ken’s work in strategy, innovation and national advocacy, combined with Julie’s leadership in human resources, public relations and environmental policy, has strengthened their organization and the broader pork industry.

Their joint induction into the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) Hall of Fame in 2026 affirms their shared legacy. Julie was the first woman asked to testify before a congressional agriculture appropriations committee on behalf of NPPC and the first to serve on its Environmental Task Force. Decades later, Ken served as NPPC president during a critical period for agricultural trade and market access. Together, they brought the experiences and concerns of pork producers, family farms and rural businesses directly into national policy discussions.

Enid Schlipf, Gridley — IALF Board of Directors

Few individuals can claim a connection to IALF that stretches back to its beginning. Enid Schlipf was a member of the foundation's original board of directors and, 45 years later, continues to serve as treasurer. His commitment to agricultural leadership began well before IALF, including service as an Illinois FFA state officer in 1966-67 and leadership within the McLean County Farm Bureau. He later served on the Illinois Farm Bureau board of directors and as the organization's vice president.

Schlipf and his family have a longstanding history in livestock production, raising Angus cattle as fourth-generation members of the American Angus Association. They have also been deeply involved in the sheep industry for more than 50 years, including leadership roles in the American Shropshire Association and American Southdown Association. Across decades of service, Schlipf has helped strengthen agricultural organizations while investing in the people who will lead them next.

Joyce Watson, Carefree, Arizona — IALF Founding President & CEO Emeritus

IALF’s beginnings are closely tied to Joyce Watson’s leadership. As the foundation’s founding president and CEO, she helped turn a vision supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation into a lasting Illinois institution. She led IALF for three decades until her retirement in 2012. Watson built the organization from the ground up. She assembled its board, shaped the curriculum of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program and built the fundraising base that sustains it. She also forged partnerships with corporate, government and academic leaders in the U.S. and abroad.

Under her leadership, IALF earned national and international recognition, and the program has since developed more than 650 Illinoisans as leaders in agriculture, their professions and their communities. Watson is a graduate of Western Illinois University and holds certified association executive and certified fundraising executive certifications from the American Society of Association Executives and Certified Fundraising Executives International, respectively. She is a Kellogg executive scholar of Northwestern University. Watson previously taught at the high school and college levels and served as director of consumer education for the Illinois Beef Industry Council. When she retired, the IALF board named her president and CEO emeritus.

The Torch of Leadership Award is presented annually to agricultural leaders who exemplify personal commitment, vision and excellence in service to agriculture. Recipients are selected by the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Alumni Committee.

While the Torch of Leadership Award celebrates a legacy of impact, IALF is also recognizing leaders whose influence continues to grow.

New in 2026, the Rising Flame Award honors IALF alumni who are building momentum in their leadership journeys and helping shape the future of agriculture. The award recognizes graduates of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program from within the past 10 years, between the ages of 30 and 50, who demonstrate early impact, continued engagement and growing influence within agriculture, rural communities or their professions. Recipients are selected by the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Alumni Committee.

The inaugural Rising Flame Award recipients are:

Mathew Heberling, Owaneco — IALP Class of 2023

Mathew Heberling believes effective agricultural advocacy begins with meaningful conversations, intentional listening and authentic storytelling. A fourth-generation farmer and senior research manager with WinField United, Heberling combines production experience with agricultural research to connect people with the science and stories behind modern agriculture. From serving as Christian County Farm Bureau president to advocating with elected officials in Washington, D.C., he seeks opportunities to build relationships, encourage dialogue and elevate the voice of Illinois agriculture.

He has also embraced creative consumer engagement through Bertie's BARK, a social media platform told from the perspective of his Australian shepherd that makes agriculture approachable and educational. Heberling continues to grow as a leader and advocate, demonstrating that advancing agriculture isn't just about speaking up but also about listening, connecting and building trust.

Dale Pitstick, Elburn — IALP Class of 2018

As a farmer, agricultural business owner and Farm Bureau leader, Dale Pitstick has built his leadership around strengthening both agriculture and the people within it. Along with operating his farm and farm equipment business, Pitstick has been active in agricultural advocacy and Farm Bureau leadership. A particular focus of his service has been developing the next generation.

Through his involvement with the Foundation and Young Farmers program, he has encouraged younger members to pursue leadership opportunities, become involved in agricultural advocacy and build stronger connections within the industry. His combination of business leadership, agricultural service and mentorship reflects the growing influence the Rising Flame Award was created to recognize.

Together, the 2026 honorees represent a continuum of agricultural leadership, from those who helped establish the institutions and programs that have shaped Illinois agriculture for decades to those beginning to leave their own mark on the industry.

The 2026 Torch of Leadership celebration will be held Friday, Dec. 4, at the Aaron Leetch Club at Illinois State University in Normal. Registration and additional information are available at agleadership.org/torch-leadership-award. Sponsorship opportunities are also available for individuals and organizations wishing to support the celebration.

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