Events

Courtney works on arbitration and commercial matters for NGFA. She has extensive experience in legal case management. Prior to joining NGFA in 2025, she was the Senior Paralegal at the Tenenbaum Law Group, where she helped incorporate more than 100 new nonprofit entities nationwide and facilitated their IRS tax-exemption applications.

Courtney holds a B.A. in politics from Converse University (formerly known as Converse College) in Spartanburg S.C.

Trent manages NGFA’s database systems, oversees member invoicing, and coordinates event registration and logistics. He also handles the association’s accounting functions and ensures the smooth operation of office processes. With a focus on efficiency and attention to detail, Trent plays a vital role in supporting NGFA’s organizational and member service goals.

Prior to joining NGFA in 2023, Trent gained extensive experience in member services, accounting, and operations with the Food Production Solutions Association. He also held accounting and operations roles in the nonprofit education sector. He served in various operational capacities within the banking industry, building a diverse skill set in organizational management and financial operations.

Sam is responsible for the overall management and execution of NGFA’s membership activities, including dues collection, new member recruitment, and member retention. She is also the staff liaison to NGFA’s Business, Merchandising and Operations Committee.

Sam joined NGFA in 2025 with an extensive background in the agriculture industry and experience in farmer grain marketing and origination, CIF barge sector, and production agriculture. She is a proud alum of Iowa State University, with a degree in agriculture business. Sam resides in southern Iowa on a farm and cattle operation.

Allison Rivera brings extensive experience in agricultural policy and advocacy, most recently serving for nine years as Executive Director of Government Affairs at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. In that role, she managed a robust portfolio of legislative priorities and built strong relationships on Capitol Hill, particularly with the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Senate Commerce Committee, and the Appropriations Committees – all critical to NGFA’s policy priorities.

Before joining NCBA, Rivera spent nine years working on Capitol Hill in various legislative roles, including serving as Legislative Director for Congressman David Rouzer (R-N.C.), Senior Policy Director for Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Legislative Assistant for Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.), and Legislative Correspondent for Congressman Walter B. Jones (R-N.C.).

Rivera is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds degrees in Political Science and International Studies. She is also a graduate of the U.S. Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College.

Mary is responsible for overseeing all office operating systems, human resources, and benefits. Mary also works closely with Charlie Delacruz and Courtney Tucker in administering NGFA’s arbitration system.

Mary also serves as Secretary and Treasurer for National Grain and Feed Digital Solutions (NGFDS), NGFA’s affiliated organization that oversees the Barge Digital Transformation (BDT) platform.

Mary joined NGFA in 2013 as an Executive Administrative Assistant. In 2014, she was promoted to Manager, Arbitration and Mediation Services. Since then, she has continued to grow within NGFA, holding positions of Director, Commercial and Arbitration Services and Director, Commercial/Arbitration Services and Project Management.

Rebecca oversees the NGFA’s membership operations and the strategic planning, financial management, marketing, and execution for all the association’s in-person and online events and member programs, including the Annual Convention, CEC, and the Committee Apprentice Program (CAP). Rebecca also manages the association’s business development initiatives, event sponsorships, exhibit sales, and corporate partnerships.

Rebecca is the staff liaison for the Communications, Membership, and Marketing Committee and the National Grain and Feed Foundation. Rebecca earned the distinguished Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation in 2023.

Rebecca joined the NGFA staff in 2010 as Manager, Meetings and Events. Prior to joining NGFA, Rebecca held event management positions at several catering companies and hotels in the Washington, D.C., area. Rebecca graduated from Bucknell University with a B.A. in English and political science.

Berit leads NGFA’s efforts in feed policy, regulatory advocacy, industry best practices, and sustainability, furthering the association’s mission to advance a safe, sustainable, and innovative feed and grain industry. She is the principal staff contact with federal and state departments and agencies that affect animal food regulatory and industry sustainability issues. She leads the selected NGFA committees, including the Feed Committee and Sustainability Committee.

Prior to joining NGFA in 2024, Berit was the Director of Sustainability at POET, LLC, where she developed and implemented sustainability programming, regulatory compliance strategies, and industry collaboration initiatives. In addition to her sustainability work, she also worked in leadership roles focused on feed, regulatory affairs, and quality control.

Berit holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of South Dakota and a B.S. in Biochemistry from Baylor University. She has authored multiple research publications and has been recognized for her work in regulatory compliance and feed safety programs.

Jess is responsible for directing and managing the NGFA’s wide-ranging operations programs for grain elevators, feed mills, and grain processing plants.

This includes NGFA’s activities regarding employee safety and industrial health, environmental issues, grain-handling facility design and equipment, grain inspection and weighing issues, grain and feed quality, crop technology, trade, agroterrorism/facility security-related issues, and sanitary/phytosanitary issues.

Jess also serves as Chairman of the Department of Homeland Security, Food and Drug Administration, and the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Agriculture Sector Coordinating Council and represents NGFA on the USDA’s Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds, and Planting Seeds.  The Journal of Agromedicine selected Jess as its 2021 “Leader in the Field.” The annual award is for those who have made significant contributions in agricultural safety and health practice, policy, and research.

Jess received his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University and his M.A. from George Washington University.

Max serves as the NGFA’s principal interface with federal departments and agencies for rail and truck transportation, risk management, and grain warehousing. Max is NGFA’s lead staff policy liaison to its Rail Shipper/Receiver Subcommittee, Motor Carrier Subcommittee, Risk Management Committee, and Business, Merchandising and Operations Committee.  He also serves as NGFA’s Treasurer and Economist.

Prior to joining NGFA in 2013, Max was the Chief Economist for the Senate Agriculture Committee. He also worked as an economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He holds a B.S. in agricultural business from Kansas State University and a M.S. in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University.

Charlie’s role includes management of legal affairs and the NGFA Arbitration and Trade Rules System. Charlie also serves as principal staff liaison to the Trade Rules Committee, Arbitration Appeals Panel, Rail Arbitration Rules Committee, and the NGFA Legal Council. He also serves as Executive Director for National Grain and Feed Digital Solutions, which administers the Barge Digital Transformation (BDT) trading platform.

Charlie had an extensive business and legal background before joining NGFA in 2002, including 10 years in private practice with a major international law firm and three years with a Washington-based consulting firm, advising and representing corporate clients on business, contractual, and litigation matters.

A Virginia native, Charlie received his law degree from the University of Virginia, where, among other things, he served on the Board of the Virginia Journal of International Law. He is also a magna cum laude graduate of James Madison University with degrees in history and political science.

Michael (Mike) Seyfert was selected as NGFA’s top executive staff officer effective March 1, 2021. As President and CEO Seyfert leads NGFA in representing more than 700 member companies and cooperatives including country elevators, export elevators, feed mills, merchandisers, brokers, biofuels, and allied industries including railroads, barge and trucking lines, grain exchanges, seed companies, construction and design firms, technology and insurance providers.

Seyfert has extensive corporate and government experience, previously serving as director of government and industry affairs North America for FMC Corp. Prior to joining FMC in February 2014, Seyfert worked from 1997-2013 on the staff of former Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., capped by serving two years as staff director of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee from 2011-13. He also was Roberts’ legislative director from 2005-11. Seyfert worked on numerous issues including agriculture, trade, taxes, appropriations, highways, aviation, health care and homeland security. During his Capitol Hill career, Seyfert also represented the U.S. Senate on official government missions to Australia, Canada, China, Cuba, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Seyfert received his undergraduate degree summa cum laude in agricultural economics and was a member of the Agriculture Honors Program at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., and subsequently earned a master of public administration degree from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Among various honors, he was selected for the FMC Keys to Leadership Program for those considered to be among the company’s 25 emerging leaders globally, received the CropLife America Pillar Award, was a Stennis Bipartisan Congressional Staff Fellow, received the Friend of Wheat award from the National Association of Wheat Growers on several occasions, and was named the 2017 Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Kansas State University College of Agriculture.

Seyfert serves as Co-Chair of the Ag. CEO Council, which includes the leadership of twenty-five national producer, commodity and agribusiness associations. He also serves on the Management Council of the International Grain Trade Coalition and is a Farm Foundation Roundtable Fellow. He previously served as President of the Washington, DC area Kansas State University Alumni Club and as Treasurer of the Senate Employee Child Care Center’s Board of Directors.

Seyfert was the fourth generation raised on the family farm. He is married to Christy Cromley Seyfert, the sixth generation raised on her family farm in Georgia. She serves as the President and CEO of the Farm Credit Council based in Washington, DC. They maintain ownership and assist in management of a crop and rangeland farm in Kansas. The couple has two daughters – Sydney a sophomore at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville and Madison a high school senior – and reside in Alexandria, Va.

Chris Boerm is a leader in the agricultural and transportation sectors, currently serving as the President of Transportation at Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), the world’s premier agricultural origination and processing company. With a career spanning over three decades at ADM, Chris joined the company in 1991 and has held various merchandising and management positions including Advisor to the Chairman and President, North American Grain.

In addition to his role at ADM, Chris serves as chair of the National Grain and Feed Association and is also an independent board member and chair of the compensation committee at Birkey’s Ag, a regional farm equipment dealer. He is on the board of ADM’s captive insurance company and has served on several Class I railroad customer advisory boards as well as serving as a director for Kalama Export Company and Pacificor, LLC. He is a member of ADM’s North American Executive Council, ADM’s Emergency Response Team, and is the executive sponsor of ADM’s Black Colleague Alliance.

Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and management from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He has also completed ADM’s CEO-led Executive Training program at Harvard Business School.