I’m Cole Pearson, and I work in Flora, Indiana, where I work as the Sales Support coordinator for Truland Equipment, a John Deere dealer in Northern Indiana and Northwest Ohio. I earned my undergraduate degree in agribusiness management from Purdue University in 2022.

I grew up around agriculture as my father and grandfather both worked in the John Deere business. I, however, did not take to the ‘family business’ right away. I was a busy student with sports, civic organizations and most of all FFA. FFA was the organization that prompted me to take on challenges of my own. This continued through a year as a state FFA officer in Indiana and into my time at Purdue.

After graduation, I worked for 3 years as a Credit Analyst for First Merchants Bank where I underwrote agriculture and agribusiness loans. I felt the call to a new challenge and ‘pitched myself’ to leadership at Truland Equipment to serve in this support role, in some ways similar to what I had done at the bank. I’ve found that the John Deere business was in my blood and it felt very natural to come ‘back’ into the business. I am very thankful to be a part of a business that has been so community oriented.

At the time, what did AFA help you understand about yourself, your leadership style or your place in agriculture?

As I reflect on my AFA experience, I recognize that AFA made me always push myself. Whether it was the application for Leaders Conference, giving feedback, (because feedback is a gift) or going abroad to see agriculture in Central Asia, I felt the need to push myself and those around me to be just a little better.

This was much of my reason for changing jobs last year. I was searching for an organization where I could see more impact and improvement based on my input to the projects that I was given. AFA was a place where I could provide my opinions and ask leaders for tangible resources. The confidence that comes from affirmation that my ideas are valuable makes all the difference!

In my role now, I am free to ask questions or push for improvements in our business processes. I push myself to be in person for important meetings or trainings because engagement in person cannot be duplicated virtually. I find myself “leading up”: looking for the next project to make the team a little bit better. This all comes from a culture of encouragement, support, and challenge that I have found in organizations like AFA.

Was there a person, mentor, peer or industry professional you met through AFA who influenced your path? What impact did they have?

I was fortunate to be in a cohort of the AFA Leaders Fellowship in which I documented experiences that exemplify the values of AFA. Shortly after beginning the fellowship, I was tasked with choosing a coach who would meet with me along the process, provide resources, and oversee my development plan. I struggled to find a coach that really stood out to me until I saw a familiar face from my trip to Washington DC for the AFA Policy Institute.

My mentor, Morgan, encouraged me to explore more from my Purdue experience, gave me book recommendations to challenge my thinking, and demonstrated perseverance through the challenging times of the COVID 19 pandemic. I was encouraged by the consistency of meeting to review my development plans and reflecting to make the most of my experiences. In my current role, I see the value of consistent work on a project and keeping one another up to date on progress.

In what ways do you stay connected or involved with AFA in your professional life? Why is that important to you?

Giving back has always been an important value in my family. My grandmother served as a city council member for 8 straight terms and my parents both serve on boards or civic organizations to give back through the library, our church, the school athletic boosters, a philanthropic sorority, and many more organizations. This led to me always searching for how I could give back as a young professional, especially to organizations that have meant a lot to me over the years.

While I have not been to any leaders conferences since being honored as a graduate of the AFA fellowship program, I have made an effort to give back in the ways I can. That has been reviewing applications for the leaders conference or the institutes. I have also done resume reviews for the track 1 students. Helping those students learn how to refine their work and prepare themselves to put their best foot forward is a special privilege. It is a moment of vulnerability to hand over their resume and being a part in the difference between a good experience and a poor experience makes it worth the minutiae.

Finish this sentence: Because of AFA, I…

Have confidence to take on difficult challenges and push others to make ourselves better!