2024 ARA Rising Stars Announced, Fan Favorite Social Media Challenge Launched

Updated Nov. 5, 2024

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) announced the 2024 Rising Stars, a group of top-performing emerging leaders in the agricultural retail industry, and a new Fan Favorite social media challenge.

The ARA Rising Stars award program, sponsored by Atticus, is a meaningful way for ARA member companies to recognize employees for their work in front of hundreds of industry professionals at the annual ARA Conference & Expo and to explore new ways to hone leadership skills. This year’s award theme is Empowering Leadership through the Next Frontier, which guides the videos created by each Rising Star.

New this year is the Fan Favorite social media challenge to empower our Rising Stars to share their message over social media and encourage others to vote for their favorite video. From now until November 1, voting will be open to all. One winner will be named to receive a prize. 

“ARA and the Atticus team are excited to see our Rising Stars showcase their hard work and share what empowering leadership means to them,” says Andrea Mowers, ARA director of communications and member experience. 

Additionally, one video will be selected by a panel of ARA and Atticus reviewers to win a grand prize trip to visit the Atticus headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, to see a different side of ag retail. The grand-prize video winner will be revealed on the main stage at the 2024 ARA Conference & Expo, to be held Dec.  3-5 in Houston, Texas.

As part of the program, each Rising Star will also complete the ARA NAVIGATOR 360° online leadership assessment to identify their own strengths and areas to improve as it relates to their company’s unique needs. Developed specifically for agricultural leaders by NuVue, LLC, this ARA tool empowers organizations to thrive in challenging times with effective leadership. 

When employees are challenged and engaged in their own professional development, companies are more likely to retain more high achieving employees to tackle the challenges facing our industry. Nominations for this award program are accepted annually from late spring until early fall and are open exclusively to ARA members.

Watch this year’s videos and enter your Fan Favorite vote by November 1. To give your favorite video a boost, “like” it once it is shared from the Rising Star and their company’s social media channels, ARA’s social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Instagram), or on Atticus LLC’s social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and X).

Learn more about the Rising Stars award program. View a list of the 2024 ARA Rising Stars.

Upon receiving the most votes by the deadline, Southern States Cooperative's Chase Porter was named the winner.