NAMA’s Sherry Pfaff, Manager of Accounting Services, has been named Chief Operating Officer. In her expanded role, she will work alongside Executive Vice President/CEO Jenny Pickett and help with the day to day operations of the National NAMA office. Sherry is very excited and appreciative for this new opportunity.

Congratulations Sherry!

Mark your calendars for these important dates to upcoming NAMA Partnership Events.  Watch the NAMA calendars for more events to come. National Events or Chapter/Regional Events.

January 27
NAMA Reception at NCBA
The Tides, San Diego Convention Center
12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
Featuring Region I Best of NAMA Winners
San Diego, CA
RSVP to Katie Nieri by January 15.

March 4
NAMA & AAEA Reception at Commodity Classic
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
New Orleans, LA
No cost or registration necessary

The Agriculture Council of America (ACA) is now accepting submissions for the 2016 National Ag Day Essay Contest. This year’s theme is “Agriculture: Stewards of a Healthy Planet” and the deadline is January 29, 2016. The contest is divided into two categories: the written essay contest and the video essay contest. Both are national competitions and there will be one winner for each category.

The national written essay winner receives a $1,000 prize and round-trip ticket to Washington, D.C., for recognition during the Celebration of Ag Dinner held March 15, 2016. During dinner, the winner will have the opportunity to read the winning essay and join with industry representatives, members of Congress, and many others in a festive ag celebration. The video essay winner wins a $1,000 prize, and the winning video will play during the Celebration of Ag Dinner.

The Ag Day Essay Contest is sponsored by CHS Inc., National Association of Farm Broadcasting, National Agri-Marketing Association and Penton Agriculture.

Click here for more information on the contest.

About National Ag Day:

This is the 43^rd anniversary of National Ag Day. The goal of the ACA is to provide a spotlight on agriculture and the food and fiber industry. The ACA not only helps consumers understand how food and fiber products are produced, but also brings people together to celebrate accomplishments in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.

The Agriculture Council of America will host several events in Washington D.C. this year; take a look at the 2016 Schedule of Events!

The ACA encourages everyone to get involved in National Ag Day. If you can’t make it to Washington D.C. to participate at the national level, there are many ways you can get involved with National Ag Day in your local communities. Visit the website to learn how you can get involved today.

Sponsorship:

National Ag Day would not be possible without the help of our sponsors. Thank you to all our 2016 sponsors! There are still sponsorship opportunities available, if you would like to get involved please contact Jenny Pickett, (913) 491-6500.

New Member List:
Welcome our new members for December 2015!

AT LARGE
Kathryn Carruth
Tom Davis
Richard Parker

CAROLINAS/VIRGINIA
Rebekah Slabach

CORNHUSKER
Melissa Pierce

IOWA
Francis Andres
Amanda Blair
Kelli Julich-Turnquist

MID-AMERICA
Meghan Grebner-Conant
Casey Minzenberger

MISSOURI-KANSAS
Whitney Dody
Lisa Humphreys
Brett Wessler

WESTERN PACIFIC
Nathan Dorn

Join the Iowa NAMA Chapter tomorrow morning at Monsanto’s training facility near Huxley, Iowa to hear from Randy Krotz, CEO of the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance.

Mr. Krotz will share insight on some of the consumer research that USFRA has conducted and some updates on the groups’ activities and learnings. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about connecting with consumers and how USFRA can help enhance the dialogue.

11:30 a.m. — Networking and Lunch

12 – 1 p.m. —  Presentation and Q&A with Randy Krotz

Questions? Contact Ellie Weiss or visit the chapter’s new website www.namaiowa.com.

Nominate the cream of the crop – Agribusiness Leader of the Year and NAMA Marketer of the Year.  Check out a list of current and past winners for Agribusiness Leader of the Year and NAMA Marketer of the Year.

Winners of these prestigious awards will be honored at the 2016 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 13 – 15, in Kansas City, MO.  Celebrate the achievements and impressive careers of the very best in agriculture with NAMA.

Agribusiness Leader of the Year Application:

Please download the application in Adobe PDF format or fill out the online nomination form.

NAMA Marketer of the Year Application:

Please download the application in Adobe PDF format or fill out the online nomination form.

Submission deadline is January 22, 2016.

If you have any questions about these awards, please contact Jenny Pickett at (913) 491-6500 or jennyp@nama.org.

Register for the 2016 Agri-Marketing Conference by the end of 2015 and you will be entered into a drawing to win an iPad Mini!

The 2016 Agri-Marketing Conference will take place April 13-15 in Kansas City, MO. NAMA will get your career growing “From the Ground Up” with top-notch keynote speakers, ground-breaking breakout sessions and, as always, countless opportunities for networking! The AMC website is up and running and will continue to be updated as more information is known.

Register for the 2016 Agri-Marketing Conference by December 31, 2015 for a chance to win. We hope to see you in Kansas City!