Brian Flanagan joined the Smith Center in 2023 as the new program director for the Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOFT) program. The ALOFT program, a USAID Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) funded regional program for Southeast Asia, sends volunteers to Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines to provide agricultural technical assistance to identified host organizations in the areas of agriculture education, entrepreneurship and agribusiness, extension and advisory services, and climate-smart agriculture.

Flanagan completed his EdD in agricultural education from Texas A&M University and his MPS in international agricultural development and rural development at Cornell University. He has worked in international agricultural development and agricultural education throughout the Global South. Throughout his career, he has worked with various non-governmental organizations and educational institutions.