AMES, Iowa – Chris Cornelius, co-owner of Cornelius Seed located near Bellevue, Iowa, will present the 2021 William K. Deal Leadership Lecture Sept. 28, at Iowa State University.
She will present “Be the Glue: The Business of Being a Family in a Family Business” at 7 p.m. in Dolezal Auditorium, room 0127 Curtiss Hall on campus. The event is free and open to the public.
A native Iowan, Cornelius grew up on a diversified farm in Guttenberg, Iowa. She earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism from Iowa State in 1983.
Alongside her husband, Chuck, and their two sons, Will and James, she co-owns and manages her family’s independent, fifth generation seed business. The business celebrated 85 years of success in 2020. She serves as first vice-president of the Independent Professional Seed Association. Chris is also an active partner in their farming entity, Cornelius Land & Cattle.
A connector and a networker, Cornelius will share how she has been the glue that has helped keep the multi-generational family’s business together and successful. She’ll also discuss the importance of having leadership skills and building a network with a positive image.
William K. Deal, an Iowa State alum with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education, established the lecture series to help prepare future leaders and innovators in agriculture. The lecture is organized by the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and co-sponsored by the Committee on Lectures funded by the Government of the Student Body.