Speakers

Martha Baker

Martha joined Alltech, Inc., based out of their Global HQ in Kentucky, USA, in May of 2023.   

 As Global Director, Carbon Markets, she works closely to shepherd Alltech’s visions, “Working together for a Planet of Plenty”. She has spent her career working with large production dairy operations in the US with a strong background in dairy nutrition and consulting.  Alltech’s approach to Sustainability starts with enhanced farm profitability.  As we advocate for our environment, it is done with a keen focus on helping operations become more profitable and viable for the long-term. Martha’s current focus is working to identify carbon projects that yield the greatest benefit to Alltech customers utilizing technology that can create verifiable reductions and deliver the greatest value back to the farm gate. 

Derek W. Bailey

Dr. Derek Bailey is the Director of Research and Outreach at Deep Well Ranch in Prescott, Arizona as well as Professor Emeritus of Range Science at New Mexico State University (NMSU). Bailey was a professor at NMSU for 19 years and conducted research in grazing behavior, precision livestock management, rangeland cattle and sheep production, grazing management and animal welfare. In addition, he taught courses in rangeland management, research methods, livestock handling and vegetation monitoring. His current research interests are precision livestock management, artificial intelligence in livestock agriculture and rangeland management. Derek grew up on a cattle ranch in southern Colorado. He received his PhD in Range Science and his MS and BS degrees in Animal Science at Colorado State University. Before to coming to NMSU, Derek worked as a researcher for Montana State University and USDA-ARS in Oklahoma. He also was a range management consultant in Nevada and an extension agent in Arizona.

Randy Blach

Randy Blach has been with CattleFax since 1981, originally serving as director of market analysis for 15 years until he was promoted to CEO in January of 2001, a role that he continues to serve in today. During his tenure, the company has enjoyed significant growth and has continued to lead the industry with timely market information, in-depth analysis and forecasts on cattle, protein and grain markets in the United States and globally. Blach has been a keynote speaker at thousands of cattle, beef and related business meetings, seminars and conventions. He graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in animal science. Blach received the Honor Alumni award from its College of Agricultural Sciences in 2004 and the Livestock Leader Award in 2011. In 2016, he was awarded the Industry Leadership Award through the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame.

Pam Brown

Pam Brown is the Vice President of Future Forwarding Company, an Atlanta based freight forwarder, 3PL, customs broker, Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) operator, and small domestic fleet offering expedited trucking services. Currently operating two Bonded Container Freight Stations as well as two FTZ’s in the Metro Atlanta area, regulatory requirements and compliance are a passion.  Her current role is compliance and consulting services for the company’s import and export clients, with a focus on duty savings strategies, post-entry  projects targeting  Customs duty refunds, supply chain reviews consisting of parts database classification, high level operating manuals as well as desk level operating procedures and training.  Pam has been in the industry for over 40 years and has a broad range of experience across multiple facets of international trade.  She is a licensed customs broker, certified customs specialist, certified export specialist and currently serves on the Board of Directors with the National Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) in Washington, DC.  She has previously served on the Board of the Atlanta International Freight Forwarders & Brokers Association for over a decade, promoting education and support for our local international trade community. 

Craig W. Buttars

Craig W Buttars has been serving as the Commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food since being appointed by Governor Cox in January 2021. Prior to this appointment he served in various local and State appointed and elected positions, including the Utah Farm Bureau Board, Utah House District #3, Cache County Council and from 2014-2020 he served as the Cache County Executive. He spent the majority of his career as a dairy farmer until 2015 when he left for full time government service. Craig and his wife, Shara live in Smithfield, Utah and are the parents of three children, who have rewarded them with 9 grandchildren.

John Cropley

John Cropley works as a senior commodity analyst at ED&F Man Liquid Products LLC. Based in New Orleans, he directs the company’s research on NAFTA sugar, molasses and other liquid products. Prior to joining ED&F Man, Cropley worked on a range of projects in the sugar and biofuels sectors around the world for the London-based consultancy LMC International. Before that, he worked for the British Government’s Department for International Development. Cropley holds a master’s degree in agricultural development from the University of London and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Wales. 

Darren Henry

Darren Henry received his B.S. at Texas A&M University before moving to the University of Florida for his M.S. and PhD. Darren’s graduate research focused on altering ruminal fermentation to improve efficiency of beef cattle production by mitigating enteric methane production. During his tenure as a faculty member at Texas Tech University and the University of Georgia, Darren’s research efforts focused on increasing the sustainability of beef cattle production from the cow-calf sector through the finishing phase. He joined Anipro Xtraformance Nutrition in May of 2023 as a Technical Sales and Service Representative. Darren lives in Palestine, TX with his wife, Francine, and 2 children, Marianna and Hewey.

Kristen Ireland

People Spark Consulting works with small to mid-size businesses in the agriculture industry to achieve their goals through their business strategies and HR practices. Founders Kristen Ireland and Erin Mies are human resources experts who focus on simple, practical business and HR strategies to boost a company’s bottom line by increasing profits and margin, increasing retention and engagement, and creating a culture of success.

Kristen and Erin collectively have 40+ years’ business and human resources experience, and have a passion for simple, practical solutions. Erin and Kristen are also adjunct faculty members at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s School for Labor and Employment Relations, teaching on change management.

Nathan Kurfman

Nathan Kurfman is a Senior Commodity Buyer for the Alltech Feed and Premix Division. He manages the corn, soybean meal, rendered, and liquid ingredient positions for Ridley Block Operations and Hubbard Feeds. He has worked in procurement roles for commercial feed production for the past 12 years. Prior to joining Alltech in 2018, he held a similar position with ADM Animal Nutrition. He was raised on a family farm outside of Quincy, IL growing corn, soybeans, hay, beef cattle, and pigs. He is a graduate of University of Illinois, receiving his BS in Crop Sciences and minoring in Animal Sciences. After graduation, he spent two years with an agricultural service company then attended Southern Illinois University to obtain a MS in Agribusiness Economics.

Nathan and his wife, Nina, live in Lexington, KY and stay busy chasing after their daughter Penelope and son Dominic. They are sports-loving kids, and many miles and hours are devoted to soccer, swimming, baseball, golf, and basketball. In his spare time Nathan enjoys playing golf and staying active.

David R. Legates

Matt Makens

Matt Makens has presented thousands of weather forecasts and outlooks to dozens of industries since the 1990s. With a specific focus, Matt formed Makens Weather, LLC in 2016 and grew quickly by providing actionable weather and climate information, clearly communicated. The primary focus is on long-term seasonal forecasts and short-term weather hazards for the agricultural industry. Makens Weather serves global clients from Australia to Canada and throughout the United States - notably CattleFax and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Makens grew up outside of Castle Rock, Colorado, on a small acreage where he competed annually in the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo and was a livestock judging team member. Matt attended The University of Kansas - degreed in Atmospheric Science.

Jonathan Martin

Jonathan Martin serves as Director of Economics and Market Analytics for Clean Fuels Alliance America, responsible for monitoring market data and current events to provide in-depth market intelligence and forecasts on the direction of the market. Jonathan leads a team focused on modeling and forecasting the direction of liquid fuels, energy markets, and feedstock markets. Jonathan also supports state and federal affairs staff on economic inquiries and fundamentals research.

Prior to joining Clean Fuels Alliance America, Jonathan was an Economist at Marathon Petroleum Corporation, where he led economic and market analyses and forecasts in the oil and gas market. Jonathan has also worked both in process engineering and environmental compliance between multiple refineries within Marathon’s portfolio. He has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Dan Meihak

Dan is a dairy industry veteran with a background in herd management with an emphasis on genetics, production and technology. The Wisconsin native earned a B.S. degree from the U.W. – Madison and was owner/manager of a 250 cow Registered Holstein dairy operation for several years. Following the sale of his herd Dan worked as a nutritionist and later in a management role with the Holstein Association USA. Dan began with Lely NA in January of 2015 in the role of Sr. Farm Management Support and is now the Dairy XL Proposition Specialist for Lely North America. Responsible for the western U.S. and Canada, Dan enjoys the challenges of teaching and preaching the gospel of technology and robotics. Dan, and his wife Pam, reside in Paradise, Utah. Although moderately successful at best, he is an avid and determined fly fisherman.

Erin Mies

People Spark Consulting works with small to mid-size businesses in the agriculture industry to achieve their goals through their business strategies and HR practices. Founders Kristen Ireland and Erin Mies are human resources experts who focus on simple, practical business and HR strategies to boost a company’s bottom line by increasing profits and margin, increasing retention and engagement, and creating a culture of success.

Kristen and Erin collectively have 40+ years’ business and human resources experience, and have a passion for simple, practical solutions. Erin and Kristen are also adjunct faculty members at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s School for Labor and Employment Relations, teaching on change management.

Danielle Nelson

Danielle Nelson serves as a director of government affairs for the Torrey Advisory Group. Prior to joining the firm, Danielle served as director of public policy at the Agricultural Retailers Association where she worked to advance the interests of retailers in the seed, nutrient, crop input, feed, equipment, and technology fields at the federal level. She previously held various roles at the National Pork Producers Council, most recently as the director of congressional relations, where she represented the U.S. pork industry on Capitol Hill during the 2018 farm bill and managed the day-to-day responsibilities of a large-scale political action committee. Additionally, she served as a legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives handling agriculture, finance, foreign affairs, tax, and trade issues for Rep. Bob Gibbs.

Neil O'Connell

Neil O’Connell has had a diverse and impressive career spanning over 40 years. He began in the airline industry, managing all-cargo operations in the mid-west and southeast USA. After transitioning away from airlines, he expanded into freight forwarding, focusing initially on textiles, auto parts, and machinery. Currently, Neil serves as Senior Business Development at Future Forwarding Company, where he leverages his operational expertise to onboard new clients and support existing ones in growing their imports and exports. His passion lies in working with start-ups and mid-sized, privately owned enterprises, witnessing their growth into successful beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) and warehouse clients. Neil also shares his knowledge by teaching classes for potential Customs Brokers in Atlanta as part of a workshop called the ABCs of Customs Brokerage. Future Forwarding Company, based in Atlanta, offers 3PL services, freight forwarding, customs brokerage, Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) operations, and domestic expedited trucking services. While their focus industries include apparel, food and beverage, and machinery, Neil’s client base spans various sectors, all seeking exceptional client services beyond the standard cookie-cutter approach to cargo movement. 

Stephen Smith

Dr. Stephen B. Smith is a Regents Professor and Senior Faculty Fellow in the Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University. He received a B.S. in Biology from California State College, Bakersfield in 1975; a Ph.D. in Metabolic Physiology from the University of California, Davis, in 1980; and was a postdoctoral research associate and a Research Chemist at the USDA-ARS Meat Animal Research Center at Clay Center, NE. Since arriving at Texas A&M University in 1983 and has worked to improve the quality and healthfulness of beef. He was the first to document that, whereas bovine subcutaneous adipose tissue uses acetate as its primary substrate for fatty acid synthesis, glucose is the primary precursor for fatty acid synthesis in marbling. Dr. Smith’s research has been vital for countries wishing to produce high-quality, healthful beef. His research also has established that corn-based feedlot diets are essential for optimizing the healthfulness of marbling adipose tissue by increasing the concentration of oleic acid. Dr. Smith also is internationally respected for another important, seminal contribution, wherein he documented the effects of high-oleic acid ground beef on cholesterol metabolism in men and women. Dr. Smith is the only animal scientist in the world who has published human trials that documented the effects of ground beef on risk factors for coronary vascular disease. Dr. Smith’s research program directly supports Texas, U.S., and international beef cattle feedlot industries. 

Leah Wilkinson

Leah Wilkinson is the American Feed Industry Association’s vice president of public policy and education. Wilkinson joined AFIA in 2010. She interacts with state legislatures, feed regulatory agencies in the western U.S., the Association of American Feed Control Officials and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Wilkinson also works with the AFIA Feed Regulatory, Ingredient Approval and Definition and Aquaculture Committees and serves as the chair of the International Feed Industry Federation’s Regulatory and International Cooperation for Convergence of Technical Requirements for the Assessment of Feed Ingredients Steering Committees  Growing up on a Minnesota swine farm, and as a graduate in swine production from the University of Minnesota, Wilkinson is very familiar with animal agriculture. She has also worked for the National Pork Producers Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, both in Washington, D.C. Before joining AFIA, Wilkinson served as the director of policy and industry relations for ViaGen, Inc. in Austin, Texas.