NGFA announces speaker lineup for 128th annual convention Sarah Gonzalez February 29, 2024

NGFA announces speaker lineup for 128th annual convention

ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 29, 2024 – During the National Grain and Feed Association’s (NGFA) 128th annual convention on March 17-19, top agribusiness leaders will gather at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate in Orlando, Fla., to address upcoming opportunities for agribusiness, conduct annual Association business and celebrate NGFA’s active membership.

“Our lineup of agribusiness leaders and federal regulatory officials will provide timely insight on hot topics for the agricultural value chain, including service updates from Class I railroads, an analysis of the Snake River dams situation, an election outlook, and regulatory and consumer trend updates,” NGFA President and CEO Mike Seyfert said. “We are also looking forward to welcoming the new class of members in the NGFA Committee Apprentice Program (CAP) and conducting the first in-person meetings of several new NGFA committees that have been formed as part of an Association restructuring project implemented earlier this year. This year’s convention will be all about celebrating our members and their volunteer service to the Association.”

Confirmed general session speakers include:

  • Alan Shaw, president and CEO of Norfolk Southern – Monday, March 18
  • Administrator Daniel Whitley of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) – Monday, March 18
  • Nathan Gonzales, publisher and editor of Inside Elections – Monday, March 18
  • Paul Maass, CEO and director of Scoular – Tuesday, March 19
  • Dan Christenson, senior director of government affairs for PepsiCo – Tuesday, March 19

The convention also includes a Transportation Open Forum on Sunday, March 17, featuring:

  • Class I Rail Panel with Angela Caddell, group vice president of agricultural products at BNSF Railway; Ted Johnson, director of marketing – agriculture and food at CSX; David Przednowek, assistant vice president, grain at CN; Ryan Raess, general director – grain at Union Pacific Railroad; James Wilson, group vice president for agriculture, forest and consumer products at Norfolk Southern Corporation; and a representative TBA from CPKC.
  • Snake River Dams Update with Anthony Peña, government relations manager at Pacific Northwest Waterways Association.

View the convention schedule, which includes information on NGFA business meetings, the golf tournament to benefit the National Grain and Feed Foundation and networking events.

Register: Members of the media should contact Sarah Gonzalez, NGFA’s director of communications and digital media, to register.

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The NGFA, established in 1896, consists of grain, feed, processing, exporting and other grain-related companies that operate facilities handling U.S. grains and oilseeds. Its membership includes grain elevators; feed and feed ingredient manufacturers; biofuels companies; grain and oilseed processors and millers; exporters; livestock and poultry integrators; and associated firms that provide goods and services to the nation’s grain, feed and processing industry. The NGFA consists of 27 affiliated State and Regional Grain and Feed Associations, is co-located and has a strategic alliance with North American Export Grain Association, and a strategic alliance with Pet Food Institute.