Nearly 50 NAMA members from California, North Central, MoKan and other chapters joined Badger members at a NAMA reception sponsored by the Badger chapter at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin on Thursday, October 4.

Badger NAMA hosted the event as a way for NAMA members from around the country to network and unwind after a long day on the show floor. Non-members were also encouraged to attend as a way to check out what NAMA is all about.

The highlight of the reception was an engaging presentation by Leigh Rubin, creator of the popular Rubes cartoons. Leigh shared insights about the creative process and the ups and downs of developing effective material on a daily basis.

Take-aways from Leigh’s presentation included:

• See humor in everyday occurrences
• Creative ideas often stem from putting a fun twist on situations around us
• Relating to people in simple, direct ways is always best
• Don’t be afraid to push the envelope — sometimes pushing the envelope gets the best reaction

The World Dairy Expo reception was the kick-off to a year of exciting new programs for Badger NAMA. Upcoming events for 2007-2008 include:

• November 19 — NAMA Professional Leaders/Awards Nominations Due
• January, 2008 — Wisconsin Agriculture Outlook Forum, UW-Madison Pyle Center, Madison, Wis.
• January 17 — Region IV Best of NAMA Awards Banquet, Lake Geneva, Wis.
• April/May — Tradeshow Workshop
• May — Badger-Chicago NAMA Golf Outing, Lake Geneva, Wis.
• June — Lambeau Field Tour, Green Bay, Wis.

For more information about the Badger NAMA chapter and upcoming events, contact Betsy Francoeur at (262) 784-7200 or [email protected].