Respondents specifically indicated that developing relationships with government officials was an important competency for county board members. They also believed that board members needed to possess the necessary skills to analyze and explain agricultural issues on all levels, especially those on the local and state level. Policy development was a priority of Farm Bureau and that county board members needed to be familiar and comfortable with the policy development process. The competencies in this theme were all derived from these responses. As one respondent stated "Farm Bureau's advantage is that they have a 'presence in each county,' which gives incredible potential with policy issues and committee issues." Farm Bureau officials who were interviewed felt that county board members needed to know how politics and the political process worked on the local, state, and national level. This included the political structures of Tallahassee, FL and Washington, D.C. Becoming politically active in the policy development process is the overriding them of this section. All respondents stressed the importance that county board members be involved in policy development on some level and understand how the process works. Effective Boards Being an effective board member was another overriding theme in the interview responses. Respondents indicated that board members needed to participate in Farm Bureau programs and meetings, support the organization and it's leaders, and demonstrate the ability to work together to benefit the organization. A list of effective board competencies can be found in Table 4-17.