Chesapeake NAMA got a leg-up on June Dairy Month with a dairy-themed meeting in May. The group visited the PA Center for Dairy Excellence (CDE) at the Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture building in Harrisburg.

Stephanie Roscinski, Communications & Marketing Manager, and Mary Foote, Dairy Education Programs Manager, highlighted the organization’s activities, including considerable community outreach on behalf of Pennsylvania dairy farmers. A public-private partnership in existence for 11 years, CDE provides resources, support and coordination for the 8th-ranked dairy state in the U.S.

In addition, Tom Mainzer, Agricultural Trade Specialist for the Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture, detailed his group’s support of Pennsylvania food-related companies and agricultural commodities. The Bureau of Market Development assists with international and domestic trade, as well as providing grants for state fairs and other agricultural community support.

Attendees included three Penn State University representatives and students; former National NAMA president Matt Coniglio, from Penton Ag; Andrew Dellava, from Hoard’s Dairyman; and Autumn Rausch, from Certis USA; as well as chapter president Kathy Johnson, treasurer Sonia Wasco and program coordinator Debbie Clayton.

Engaging Networking and Inspiring Speakers at the 2017 Agri-Marketing Conference

NAMA did not disappoint with an unforgettable lineup of keynote speakers, innovative breakout sessions and countless networking opportunities at the 2017 Agri-Marketing Conference.

Over 75 attendees were up bright and early on Wednesday morning for the Fort Worth Ag Tour. The Southwest NAMA Chapter hosted this entertaining tour of “Cowtown.” The group visited the famous Fort Worth Stockyards, the Livestock Exchange Building and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. It was a great way to kick off the conference.

The Best of NAMA awards celebrated the agencies and companies that contributed the most strategic and effective campaigns of the year. As always, this annual awards ceremony opens the conference in an impressive way.

Conference attendees were back at it the next day with two keynote speakers who spoke on effective communication and management techniques. Herm Edwards reiterated the importance of teamwork and mentoring the next generation of workers, while Bruce Tulgan focused on the best way to manage the incoming generation.

These two opening sessions gave NAMA the chance to present some very prestigious awards to a couple of worthy longtime leaders in the agriculture industry. Mike Stern, Chief Executive Officer of The Climate Corporation, received the Agribusiness Leader of the Year Award. Greg Nickerson, Chief Executive Officer at Bader Rutter, was awarded the NAMA Marketer of the Year Award.

Original and innovative ideas continued in the afternoon’s breakout sessions with a producer panel, a look at immersive live brand experiences and a unique 3 in 1 digital track session which included short looks at the marketing ecosystem, sales automation and the field of user experience. Breakouts also included special sessions led by the morning keynoters that offered a deeper dive into the content they introduced earlier in the day.

The first full day of conference ended with a closing reception in the Connection Point where conference goers and exhibitors had the chance to network over drinks and get those last minute bids in for the ABEF Silent Auction.

At the Closing Brunch, inspirational speaker John O’Leary shared his remarkable tale of survival. As a child, O’Leary was in an accident that caused him to be burned on 100% of his body. Though he was given less than one percent chance of survival, he miraculously recovered. With a mixture of tears and laughter, O’Leary captivated conference goers and motivated them to cherish each day and all the possibilities of tomorrow.

Check out some great photos from NAMA’s week in Dallas on the NAMA Flickr page!

Introducing the 2017-2018 Executive Committee Members

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) has introduced the 2017-2018 Executive Committee members. Please welcome the officers below:

PRESIDENT
Amy Bradford, Heartland Chapter
GROWMARK, Inc.

Amy Bradford is corporate relations manager for GROWMARK, responsible for the development and implementation of the cooperative’s corporate communications strategy including employee, member, and external communications; proactive corporate media relations and public relations; cooperative education and awareness; and the cooperative’s annual meeting. She also oversees GROWMARK’s philanthropic efforts, and manages The GROWMARK Foundation.

She has been a member of NAMA since 1998 and has served in numerous local capacities, including chapter president. In addition, she has served on the national Professional Recognition Committee and has been on the Executive Committee since 2012.

PRESIDENT-ELECT
Sheri Seger, Chicago Chapter
DTN/The Progressive Farmer

Sheri Seger is Director of Major Accounts and Digital Strategy at DTN/The Progressive Farmer, responsible for aligning the company’s media platforms in print, digital and events to the communications needs of agri-marketing companies and their advertising agencies. Her responsibilities are focused nationally and across both row crop and livestock segments.

A long time NAMA member, Sheri has been active with the association at both a local and national level. She has served as Chicago Chapter President, Region IV Director, National Best of NAMA Chair and the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference Chair. She joined the Executive Committee in 2013.

SECRETARY/TREASURER
Scott McClure, Gateway Chapter
Brighton Agency

Scott McClure is Senior Vice President, Influencer Engagement, at Brighton Agency. He is the lead strategist for all Brighton agribusiness accounts, providing strategic counsel and support for all clients; management of group budgets, performance and personnel; and new business. His responsibilities also include being group leader for Brighton Influencer Engagement (PR) accounts, providing support for agricultural and non-agricultural client teams, strategic planning, content development and maintaining media and industry relationships.

Scott has been active with NAMA for many years at both local and national levels. He has served as a Best of NAMA judge for five years, he was the Agri-Marketing Conference Vice Chair in 2012 and chaired the committee in 2013. Scott joined the Executive Committee in 2014.

VICE PRESIDENTS

-Gary Sakin 
 Gateway Chapter
 Monsanto

-Sara Steever
 Northern Prairie Chapter
 Paulsen

-Sue Lee
 MoKan Chapter

-Deron Johnson
 MoKan Chapter
 FLM+

-John Rozum
 Badger Chapter
 Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Inc. 

-Sharon Larson
 North Central Chapter
 CHS, Inc.

The Agri-Business Educational Foundation (ABEF) had great success with many fundraising opportunities at this year’s Agri-Marketing Conference.

On Tuesday, April 25, Over 50 people took part in the new twist on the ABEF Golf Outing. It was a perfect day at Topgolf, in Dallas, where attendees enjoyed cocktails and appetizers while they hit micro chipped golf balls to marked targets on the green.

The 2017 Century Club sign up was another big fundraiser put on by ABEF. By the end of the conference, there were 93 names on the list! Out of those names, Dee Weeda, Dee Weeda Communications, was the big winner of this year’s Wine of the Month Club! Thanks to everyone who donated, ABEF is very excited for the fundraising success and to give back to the future of agri-business. Click here to see the 2017 Century Club List.

And finally, ABEF had HUGE success with the ABEF Silent Auction. With over 70 donations, attendees had a wide variety of items to bid on. This year was one of the most profitable years for this fundraiser, with over $7,300 raised for the Student NAMA Careers Program! Thanks to everyone who bid.

Join NAMA for a reception at the Ag Media Summit on July 24 at 9:00 p.m. at the Snowbird Resort. Stop by after dinner for drinks and networking. There is no need to register and no need to be a NAMA or NAFB member.

The reception will be co-sponsored by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. The entire Ag Media Summit takes place July 22-26 at the Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort. For more information on AMS visit http://agmediasummit.com.

The 2017 NAMA Fall Conference will take place in Milwaukee, WI on September 19-21. Mark your calendars now so you don’t miss it!

The Hotel:

The Hilton Milwaukee City Center. The room rate for the NAMA block is $169.00 and the cutoff date is August 28, 2017. Call the hotel to make a reservation, (414) 271-7250. The online reservation website will be available soon.

Take a look at the Schedule-At-A-Glance:

The 2017 NAMA Boot Camp is a great way to cap off your summer. Boot Camp will take place on August 8-10; mark your calendars now so you don’t miss it!

The Hotel:

The Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center. The room rate is $145.00 and the cutoff date is July 21, 2017. Call the hotel to make a reservation, (816) 841-1000. The online reservation website will be available soon.

Take a look at the Schedule-At-A-Glance: