Make the most of your membership by taking a committee role at the chapter level or national level. Gain hands-on leadership experience that will benefit you in your professional and personal life.

Chapter and national leaders are currently recruiting committee members. If you are interested in becoming a member of a chapter or national committee fill out the online form at http://www.nama.org/leader/leaderform.htm or contact your chapter president. A list of chapter president’s can be found at http://www.nama.org/chapters/chapterlist.htm.

Note: Chapter Presidents, if you have your leaders already selected for the upcoming 2008-2009 program year, please submit them to Linda Schaefer at the NAMA office at [email protected].

Calendar Reminder: Chapter leaders, regional leader workshops are currently being planned. Stay tuned for the dates of the Regional Leader Workshops.

NAMA named the organization’s national leadership award recipients during the Second General Session on April 17.

The President’s Award was given to Stephanie Gable, Fort Dodge Animal Health; Gary Vorpahl, Hoard’s Dairyman magazine, received the R.C. Ferguson Award; The Workhorse of the Year Award was given to Melissa Sanders, AdFarm; Patty Jolliffe, Weyforth-Haas Marketing, and Leigh Ann Cleaver, Blasdel Cleaver Schwalbe Communications, received the Outstanding Chair Awards; Paul Redhage, FMC Corporation, took home the Dilworth Award for Innovation; and four meritorious achievement awards were given to Sally Behringer, Nicholson Kovac; Jim Haist, Rhea & Kaiser; Melanie Acklin, Specialty Fertilizer Products; and Melinda Oberly, McCormick Company.

The first general session at the National Agri-Marketing Association conference featured Dan Heath, the co-author of “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.”

Heath told attendees some of his theories on ideas that “stick” and methods for making ideas stickier, such as violating schemas, using the Velcro Theory of Memory, and creating “curiosity gaps.” He also explained the “Curse of Knowledge” that many of us in agriculture sometimes fall victim to when trying to get our message across to the general public.

Check out the “Made to Stick” website and listen to Cindy’s short interview with Dan here.

Interview with Dan Heath

The NAMA Blog is sponsored by Successful Farming.

One of the primary goals of the NAMA Agri-marketing conferences is to listen to NAMA members and find out what’s working well, as well as determine where there is room for improvement. One of the newest members of the NAMA staff will be doing just that. Debbie Brummell (pictured left) says she has listened to feedback from various NAMA chapters and has identified some of the challenges they seem to be facing. Her goal will be to meet those challenges.

You can listen to my interview with Debbie here:

Interview with Debbie Brummel

Also pictured are Kathi Conrad, Jenny Pickett and Penny Graham.

The NAMA Blog is sponsored by Successful Farming.

In the words of NAMA Executive Director Jenny Pickett (pictured right), organizers of this year’s “Leading the Charge” Agri-marketing Conference “knocked it out of the park.” This was Jenny’s first conference as the Executive Director, though she has been a part of NAMA for a long time. Jenny stepped up as executive director last year when the previous director, Eldon White, left.

I interviewed Jenny just as the event was winding down. You can listen to my interview with Jenny here:

Interview with Jenny Pickett

NAMA President Patty Travis (pictured left) says this year’s attendance was the highest attendance the NAMA Agri-marketing Conference has had in almost a decade. She says this year’s conference also picked up 80 first-timers. Patty, with 5MetaCom, says the ag business is strong right now and there is probably no better time than now to be in the industry. She says NAMA is planning to throw new things into the mix for the spring conference and the fall agri-business forum.

I also interviewed Patty just before the close of the event. You can listen to my interview with Patty here:

Interview with Patty Travis

The NAMA Blog is sponsored by Successful Farming.

NAMA would like to welcome Susie Decker, Farm Progress Companies, Robert Ratliff, ProfitableFarming.com, and Jane Allman, Cargill, to the Executive Committee.
The members of the 2008 Executive Committee include:

President
Patty Travis, 5MetaCom

President Elect
Carol Anderson, Anderson/Fallon

Secretary/Treasurer
Susie Decker, Farm Progress Companies

Members
Jane Allman, Cargill
Robert Ratliff, ProfitableFarming.com
Vicki Henrickson
Kyle Bauer, KFRM Radio
Beth Burgy, Broadhead+Company
Barry Nelson, John Deere

Help beef up the NAMA membership with the latest membership promotion.

During the month of November, recruit a business associate, peer or friend to the benefits you enjoy as a member. Every NAMA member who recruits a new member in the month of November will receive a $25 gift certificate to Omaha Steaks!

Simply tell your recruit to join on-line at http://www.nama.org/join.html and include your name in the “Referred by” box or simply have them call the NAMA office at 913-491-6500 to join and remind them to say they were referred by you!