Keynote Speakers
Ryan Leak
Chasing Failure: What Our Goals Require Most Is the Bravery to Fail
What would you do if you knew you could not fail? Chasing Failure is all about having a vision for a dream, a goal, a mission, and knowing that the road will be paved with failure, but still proceeding with conviction and passion. This is what sets those who succeed beyond measure, from those who simply exist. The fear of failure will keep you inside a box, stall innovation, and make sure you hesitate anytime you even think about taking a risk that could help you achieve goals beyond your wildest dreams. As leadership expert Ryan Leak shares, you don’t actually have to get over the fear. Just do it scared and take really good notes.
When you’re Chasing Failure, you’re either going to win or you’re going to learn. Hopefully, both will happen. Ryan shares the blueprint for success by giving you an approach to see what the predictable failures might be, so you can circumvent those more easily, or deal with them more effectively when they arise.
Ryan is CEO of the Ryan Leak Group, a leadership development firm, and he is also on the teaching team of a few well-known U.S. based churches. Ryan lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife Amanda and two sons, Jaxson and Roman.
Dr. W. Scott Downey, PhD
You Can Fish or You Can Catch:
Lessons from the Purdue National Large Commercial Producer Study
Gain first-hand insights about farmer buying behavior, decision-making around risk management, and communication factors and gaps between farmers and sellers. Dr. Scott Downey will expand on the implications and takeaways from the recent 2021 Purdue University national study, including understanding farmer demographics and preferences. His background in sales education will help you use this information to do more than fish but catch new customers in today’s agriculture environment.
Dr. W. Scott Downey is a professor in the agricultural economics department at Purdue University and director of the Center for Food and Agricultural Business. He oversees the Bachelor of Science in Sales and Marketing degree program and the Certificate in Industrial Selling. He has taught undergraduate and executive courses at Purdue for more than 20 years, including a highly rated sales course to 300 students each semester. He is lead author on one of the top books in this field, ProSelling, which is used in more than 80 different sales courses across the United States and Canada.
His PhD is in buyer behavior, which drives his research on customer buying decisions, sales processes that lead to them, and sales management activities that maximize ROI of those efforts. He has led action-based workshops with industrial sales groups all over the world and is a frequently published author in a variety of magazines.
Jim Wiesemeyer
Forecasting 2024 Political Changes
From his office near Washington, D.C., Jim Wiesemeyer is a well-known voice in the ag media and news circuit. You may recognize him as a Washington analyst for Pro Farmer, where he contributes daily to the organization’s news site (FarmJournalPro.com), providing members with the latest information on agricultural policy and trade developments. He is also a twice-weekly participant in Farm Journal’s Agri-Talk radio program, and a contributing writer for the Agriculture Letter, formerly the Kiplinger Ag Letter.
Since 1978, Jim has frequently reported on and interviewed senior government officials, including Presidents Reagan and Carter, as well as every USDA Secretary since Earl Butz. He has traveled extensively in his assignments and is a frequent speaker on farm policy and trade issues. He has served as the Washington bureau chief for Futures World News (FWN), and he was a Washington editor with Doane's Agricultural Report as well as the Washington Farmletter.
Jim’s decades-long reporting and expertise has given him keen insight into agricultural policy and trade. Just days after the 2022 federal election, Jim will be able to provide whip-smart, bipartisan views into the state of the industry: what impacts to expect for farmers, for agents, and the American and global economies.
DAVID PARKER
Vision Selling: For Those Who Have Been There, Done That
The seasoned seller of today must wear many hats: a selling counselor, account manager, trainer, consultant, and visionary – just to name a few. With these responsibilities comes the need to hone one’s selling skills, especially considering the increasingly competitive environment of tomorrow. David will help you discover your ability to guide customers through an uncertain future and set yourself up for long-term success.
David is an Executive Vice President at Curious Plot, a hybrid marketing communications and consulting organization. Prior to working at Curious Plot, he was a partner and an original management team member at ABG/Adayana. He also leads OTM, his own professional speaking and consulting firm. As a speaker, David has delivered more than 3,500 presentations, workshops, and planning sessions for small, large, and Fortune 500 companies.
He is a native of central Indiana, where he grew up on a grain and livestock farm and is still active in the family’s Hampshire sheep business to this day. He holds a degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University and has served as Chairman of the Alumni Association board. Additionally, David is an active alum of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, and served on the National Board of Directors. He and his wife, Ann, reside in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dr. Steve Johnson, Ph.D.
Farm Economy Outlook: What Keeps Farmers Up at Night
Crowd-favorite keynote speaker Dr. Steve Johnson is back to offer his insights into today’s farm economy and what farmers are thinking about for tomorrow.
Steve recently retired from the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach office where he served as a Farm & Ag Business Management Specialist for over two decades. In that time, he traveled the Midwest working and speaking with farmers, specializing in education about grain marketing, government farm programs, crop insurance, risk management, and farmland leasing.
Today, Steve works as an ag consultant to continue serving farmers through meetings, workshops, seminars, and conferences. He also continues to be quoted and referenced in multiple articles and media. Steve resides in Iowa.
Trent Green
Leading On and Off the Field
Former NFL quarterback Trent Green’s playing career was highlighted by his contributions to his hometown Rams’ victory in Super Bowl XXXIV over the Tennessee Titans, and with the Chiefs when he became only the fourth quarterback, at the time, to throw for more than 4,000 yards in three consecutive seasons (Dan Fouts, Peyton Manning and Dan Marino were the other quarterbacks who achieved this record at the time).
Also, during his time in Kansas City, Trent twice led the Chiefs into the playoffs and played in two Pro Bowls. He finished his career passing for 28,475 yards and 162 touchdowns, while compiling a quarterback rating of 86.0. After a lengthy career in which he quarterbacked for the San Diego Chargers (1993-94), Washington Redskins (1995-98), St. Louis Rams (1999-2000, 2008), Kansas City Chiefs (2001-06) and Miami Dolphins (2007), Trent began his broadcast career.
Today, you can catch Trent as a CBS Sports Analyst during coverage of the NFL on CBS, as well as NFL Monday QB, and Sunday’s pre-game show, That Other Pregame Show (TOPS). He and his wife, Julie, have three children and reside in the greater Kansas City area.
Additional Speakers
KEVIN JOHNSON
Master of Ceremonies
We welcome back Kevin Johnson, FMH Senior Vice President - Sales, as our Master of Ceremonies! Kevin has been with FMH for 35 years, and has lead the sales team through national expansion and record-breaking growth during his role as Senior Vice President.
SHANNON RUTLEDGE
FMH’s Vision with CEO
Shannon has been FMH’s President & CEO since January 1, 2022. In his 27 years at FMH, Shannon has held roles of increasing responsibility involving all FMH divisions, from adjusting crop hail losses in the field to working with international
reinsurance partners, allowing him to develop a broad range of experience. He also serves on various boards across the industry. He will discuss his vision for the future of FMH as America’s Crop Insurance Company and as your dedicated agency
partner.
TARA SMITH
So…What Now?
Post-Election Impact on Crop Insurance
As Executive Vice President for Michael Torrey Associates, Tara Smith leads a team of talented staff focused on developing and implementing legislative and regulatory strategies, building coalitions, and informing policymakers on client priorities, including work for the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB). From being raised on a farm in central Illinois to a career across all types of ag policy, Tara’s background and expertise will provide targeted insights into how the recent election impacts crop insurance.
KEN SELZER
Panel Interview with FCIC Board Members
Ken Selzer, a regulatory appointee, is an insurance executive and former Kansas Insurance Commissioner who currently serves as an Executive Managing Director at a worldwide reinsurance broker with more than 35 years of experience in reinsurance and insurance regulation. Ken has held many leadership positions in the both the public and private sectors and in the community. He has earned several professional credentials, including CPA, CPCU, Are, and FLMI, and holds several insurance licenses. Ken and his wife, Deb, own and operate a farm in the Kansas City area.
Scott Silveus
Panel Interview with FCIC Board Members
Scott Silveus, an insurance appointee, has been a crop insurance agent with Silveus Insurance Group, Inc. for 30 years in Indiana. During that time, Scott has worked with producers from around the country, including apple growers in Michigan, rice growers in Arkansas, wheat growers in Kansas, and cotton growers in Texas. Scott has collaborated with RMA for years and has been instrumental in the development of many Federal and private crop insurance products, including PRF, Margin Protection, ARP, and Price Flex. He is currently a Board Member at Lakeland Christian Academy and is on the Board of Trustees at Grace College.
Pat Swanson
Panel Interview with FCIC Board Members
Pat Swanson, a farm industry appointee, farms with her husband, Don, and his family in Ottumwa, Iowa as a partner of Swanson Farm Partnership, a soybean, corn, and cow-calf farming operation. Pat has worked as a crop insurance agent since 2005 and co-owns Son Risk Management crop insurance agency. She also serves as a State Committee Member on the Iowa Farm Service Agency, District 9 Director for the Iowa Soybean Association, American Soybean Association Advocacy Communications Team Member, and Wapello County 4-H Foundation Board Secretary. Pat has 15 years of experience with the crop insurance program.
Scott Johnson
Bear Ye One Another’s Burdens
Scott Johnson has been a District Sales Manager with FMH since 2018. He and his wife, Bridget, live in DeForest, Wisconsin. Growing up in a farming community, Scott saw first-hand how the stress and struggles of the job impact farmers every day. From economic crisis to local pitfalls, farmers bear a lot on their shoulders. Scott decided to become QPR certified to identify and aid those around him who may be struggling mentally, especially farmers who often don’t speak up about these issues. Scott hopes that by sharing his experiences, we all learn how to carry each other’s burdens and ultimately support the entire ag community.