A marketing consultant to the agribusiness sectors in North-East Victoria aims to increase her skills to help expand opportunities in these industries through a leadership program starting this month at Charles Sturt University (CSU).Ms Alison Lloyd aims to learn the leadership skills she needs to help the local food and wine industries take advantage of the growing opportunities offered through tourism in the region."I believe there is great potential offered by the emerging agri-tourism sector. Visitors from major Australian cities and overseas are enthralled by the environment and quality produce of our region, and they want more," Ms Lloyd said."I want to help local businesses create attractive experiences for these visitors, and tell their stories far and wide."To obtain these advanced leadership skills, Ms Lloyd is taking part in the 12-month Regional Leadership Program Course being offered by CSU at the Wangaratta Regional Study Centre."I will need to draw on highly developed skills in communication, project management and stakeholder engagement," she said."It's not an easy thing to do, to bring together the interests and concerns of a wide group of people into a single vision - so I need every skill I can get, which I aim to get through this program."The CSU Regional Leadership Program builds on the personal and skills development in the Alpine Valleys Community Leadership Program which Ms Lloyd recently completed.Ms Lloyd currently works extensively with the regional 'Wines of the King Valley' marketing board and is a board member with the Beechworth Food Co-op.Coordinator of the CSU Regional Leadership Program, Ms Ilena Young, noted that the program can also lead to the Master of Business Leadership, also offered through CSU."I am delighted to get this inaugural program off the ground in the region.  We have had interest from people in such varied sectors as health, environmental management, education and planning, all of them located in North-East Victoria," Ms Young said. The first two-day module of the Regional Leadership Program commences at the Wangaratta Regional Study Centre, 218 Tone Road, Wangaratta, on Thursday 27 July.