Bobbi Buxbaum

I was raised on the land, in the agricultural community, where everybody was tending to their land, managing their assets and had to make that resource work financially. Agriculture - the agriculture industry is a gamble. You never know when it's going to rain or snow, or be dry, and every day is a gift whether it is a positive or a negative one. That's what piqued my interest in how hard the industry was, but how rewarding it was to be able to own your land, to learn how to manage it and to grow, promote and expand the industry, and what it takes to become successful. I think of the early explorers and how they used to measure the land in rods and chains, and how Lewis and Clark in their jojurnals would speak of how they measured the land, and how the land is broken up in sections and townships and ranges, and they all have a little bit of alterations because the earth is round. All of that is very interesting to me. God isn't making any more land and it is imperative we preserve it for it's unique attributes. I have met some amazing people both peronally and professionally that have been a catalyst in my success. I am grateful for those people.

The best career advice I've ever received is to not be afraid of leaping in with both feet into anything, really. You don't have to know everything about everything. You just have to have enough faith and confidence in yourself to know that you can accomplish what is in your heart as well as what you can dream. I am known for my leadership skills in encouraging others to be confident and empowered and to dream big. My strongest leaderrship skill is to bring individuals togethher to create a strong team and acknowledge what makes each shine and build upon that. My biggest takeaway is don't ever be afraid to do something that you're not fully qualified or fully educated on. Learn as you go, take the lead, and keep growing, learning and experiencing. I have been blessed with opportunities that have appeared before me. I have never been afraid to transition into a new career or to venture down an new path. Sometimes the most beautiful thing you can do for yourself is to walk away from anything that no longer brings you joy or fulfills you.

If you have an interest, develop it and run with it. Take one small step. You don't have to know everything about it, you just have to have a desire and an interest. Make a difference in the lives of everyone you meet and always leave them with encouragmement. Meeting new people broadens your understanding of human life and you start to appreciate the struggles of others. I always try to feed into others encouragement and love. Get into what makes you happy, what piques your interest, and pay attention to your surroundings, the people that you meet. When you find that 1 thing that makes you happy, that gets you out of bed in the morning, build on that. Don't ever be afraid to be yourself and invent your own version. Never let the negative aspects of life stop you or discourage you. Always learn new things. Take that class, finish your degree and add that certification.

The biggest opportunities - I am finally i n the position that I've always wanted to be, and that is in a large, productive corporation that brings energy to rural communities and makes a postivie impact on this world. And I am thankful to be in the leadership role to be able to continue that. That's a huge achievement for me. The opportunities are vast. The greatest challenge is keeping up to date with technology and staying educated on all the aspects of the land industry and the legal part of it. It's an ongoing education, which I really enjoy. I love meeting new people and hearing their stories of living from the land and learning about the industry that I am passionate about. Right now it seems so many industries are attempting to use the land that we are blessed with, sometimes the agricultural communities feel taken advantage of. I try and strike a balance that will build a strong foundation and where all involved entities can be rewarded.

I put God in front of everything and all glory goes to himim. Honesty, integrity, hard work and never veering from my faith. Those are the values most important to me in my work and personal life.