Samuel Kwakye Accepted into an International Emerging Leader Program
September 30, 2025
Samuel Kwakye has been accepted into the 2026 class of the Soil and Water Conservation Society’s (SWCS) Emerging Leaders Program.
Kwakye is an Agricultural Field Data Scientist for Sand County Foundation, a national nonprofit that works at the intersection of agriculture and environmental improvement. He supports Sand County Foundation’s conservation team in evaluating environmental outcomes resulting from the adoption of regenerative and soil health management.
SWCS, recognized as the premier international organization for professionals shaping the future of natural resource conservation, has chosen Kwakye for his outstanding commitment to the science and art of conservation. He will join a group of up-and-coming leaders in conservation that are spread across several countries and disciplines.
“Samuel’s leadership style has brought him success in his role at Sand County Foundation. He is a natural at engaging our farmer partners and communicating science in a practical way that encourages the adoption of conservation,” said Heidi Peterson, Sand County Foundation’s Vice President of Agricultural Research and Conservation.
SWCS’s CEO Clare Lindahl created the program after reflecting on her own leadership journey. “I was looking back at my career and thinking about things that would have helped me be a better leader, what mistakes I made and what really worked well,” said Lindahl. “It just made sense to create a way to help the next generation of leaders in conservation practice and advocacy by providing them with tools, resources and opportunities to learn and mature their individual leadership styles.”
Kwakye completed his Bachelor of Science in Agronomy from EARTH University in Costa Rica. He holds a master’s degree in Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition from Louisiana State University. His acceptance into the SWCS Emerging Leaders Program not only underscores his exceptional contributions to conservation but also positions him as a dynamic force shaping the future of our community’s conservation efforts.
More information about the SWCS Emerging Leaders Program is available at www.swcs.org/elp.
SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION inspires and empowers farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners to ethically care for the land so future generations have clean and abundant water, healthy soil, and plentiful wildlife habitat. www.sandcountyfoundation.org
ABOUT SWCS: For 81 years, the Soil and Water Conservation Society has been the premier international organization for professionals who practice and advance the science and art of natural resource conservation. We believe sustainable land and water management is essential to the continued security of the earth and its people. Our goal is to cultivate an organization of informed, dynamic individuals whose contributions create a bright future for agriculture, the environment, and society. The Soil and Water Conservation Society is headquartered in Ankeny, Iowa, with chapters across the United States and Canada.