As an integral part of our daily personal and professional lives, Cornhusker NAMA members were treated to an informative and energizing discussion about how to maximize their LinkedIn profiles to realize their greatest potential. LinkedIn Senior Community Support Specialist, Janae Kaska, provided members with valuable insights on how to get the most out of the popular professional networking site and shared recent enhancements to the site that help more than 500 million LinkedIn members network more effectively. Ms. Kaska also presented ideas on how to maximize economic opportunities and employment offerings.

Janae Kaska, Senior Community Support Specialist, LinkedIn, shared suggestions with Cornhusker NAMA members on how to maximize economic and professional networking opportunities while providing tips on how to get the most out of LinkedIn profiles.

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.

On Thursday May 25^th, the Midsouth NAMA chapter gathered at a popular Memphis watering hole – the Wiseacre Brewing Company. What made this special is that they brew the beer on site, and offered us a special behind-the-scenes tour. Grains are the essence of this popular beverage, and the members got a complete schooling on the art of using different grains in craft beer.

We learned the basic principles of beer making but also what Wiseacre does to make it their own. Did you know that brewers must work their recipes around the water source they use, and that Memphis has some of the best beer making water in the world? Take that Colorado! After the tour, and the sampling, the members enjoyed more beverages and snacks. It was a great way to end the year!

The Badger and Chicago chapters got together on June 1 in Lake Geneva, WI for the annual golf outing. Those that participated were treated to amazing weather, fantastic golfing conditions and some great camaraderie. This was the 17^th year in a row that the group has had this outing at Hawk’s View Golf Course in Lake Geneva.

New Member List:
Welcome our new members for May 2017:

AT LARGE
Anthony Gindin, Think Shift
Courtney Love
Lisa Smith, Alltech, Inc.

BADGER     
Lauren Baker, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Mitchell Giebel, Didion Milling
Erin O`Toole, University of Wisconsin – Platteville
Dakotah Walker, University of Wisconsin – Madison

CAROLINAS/VIRGINIA   
Elizabeth Gaston, AgBiome Innovations
Ray Hoyum, Advantage International
Emilia Villacis, Nufarm

CHESAPEAKE      
Erin Mullen, University of Delaware

CHICAGO  
Michelle Nickrent, Rhea + Kaiser
Lillian Pogue, Muscular Dystrophy Assoc.

EASTERN   
Megan Clancy, Dairy Farmers Of America

FLORIDA  
Shelby Mullins, Abraham Baldwin Ag. College

HEARTLAND 
Sam Detwiler, Monsanto

MID-AMERICA   
Emily Helsen, John Deere
Kelli LeClair, Fastline Media Group, LLC
Angela Sommers, Wilbur-Ellis Company

MIDSOUTH 
Michael Buckley, Mississippi State University

MISSOURI-KANSAS  
Evangeline Armstrong, Networks Plus
Kathleen Cuddy, Midwest Dairy Association
Paul Meinecke
Morgan Zumpfe, Cargill Animal Nutrition

OHIO
Marcia Cripps, Syngenta

ROCKY MOUNTAIN  
Elizabeth Edwards, Horizon Ag

SOUTHEASTERN  
Olivia Evans, Great American Insurance Company
Jordan Moyers, Abraham Baldwin Ag. College

WESTERN PACIFIC      
Beatriz Perez