Featured Presenters

Matt Elliott – Founder – Blue Lake Ideas
Speaking at Opening Luncheon, January 13
Matt Elliott helps leaders and their teams thrive in a world of accelerating change by upgrading how they think, decide, and work together. As former President of Bank of America Michigan, Matt brings more than 35 years of experience leading large, complex organizations while delivering strong business results alongside high employee and customer satisfaction. Today, Matt is the Founder of Blue Lake Ideas LLC and the creator of The Power of &™ and the & Intelligence™ practice—a practical leadership discipline that helps individuals and teams move beyond limiting binary thinking to build clarity, connection, and confident action in fast-moving environments.

Veronica Nigh – Chief Economist – TFI
Speaking at Fertilizer Sessions, January 13
Veronica Nigh joined The Fertilizer Institute as Senior Economist in December 2023. She previously served as a Senior Economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and an International Economist at the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. Veronica grew up in agriculture in the Show-Me state. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics with minors in Political Science and International Agriculture from the University of Missouri and a Master of Science in Economics from American University.

Jane DeMarchi – President – NAMA
Speaking at Wheat Session, January 14

Jane DeMarchi is president of the North American Millers’ Association. The North American Millers’ Association (NAMA) represents the interests of the wheat, corn and oat milling industry before Congress, federal agencies, and international regulatory bodies. Prior to this role, she worked at the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG). She currently serves on the leadership of the Food and Beverage Issues Alliance in Washington, D.C., the board of the Partnership for Food Safety Education and the External Advisory Board of the Kansas State University Department of Grain and Food Science.

Dr. Jim Mintert – Emeritus Professor, Purdue University, Co-Author, Purdue/CME Farmer Sentiment Survey
Speaking at Farm Credit Session, January 14

Dr. James Mintert serves as Emeritus Professor of Agricultural Economics in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. Jim joined Purdue’s faculty in 2009 and served as the assistant director of Extension for agriculture and natural resources before leading the Center for Commercial Agriculture. Prior to his time at Purdue, Jim was a professor, livestock marketing economist, and Extension state leader in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University for 23 years. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics from Purdue University and a doctorate from the University of Missouri. Jim is the author of more than 200 publications focusing on the economics of the livestock industry, and one of the founding authors of the Purdue/CME Farmer Sentiment Survey.

Building a Team that Thrives: Mastering the Skills of Noticing and Engaging Your Colleagues
With People Spark Consulting, Speaking on January 13
The most successful leaders share a powerful skill: they truly see their people. By noticing changes in behavior, energy, and engagement, you can connect, support, and inspire your team at the right moments, building a culture where people want to collaborate and grow. Teamwork thrives when we master the art of noticing – observing what matters and turning those insights into meaningful conversations. This interactive session, led by People Spark Consulting, will help you recognize contributions, spot growth opportunities, and deliver feedback that energizes and motivates. 

Additional highlights, and collaborative efforts with Michigan State University include:

• A full-morning workshop from Michigan State University Extension Pesticide Education experts, and MDARD officials, on Bulletins Live! Two and ESA Compliance.
• Off-Site Tour of MSU Dairy Teaching & Research Center, Livestock Session.
• Strong participation by MSU field crops agronomy and ag economics experts.