Thursday, November 5, 2020
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. CT: Political Update
What’s in store for the agriculture industry in 2021? The 2020 election promises to be pivotal for the agricultural economy with issues such as trade, regulation, labor, and sustainability in the balance. Just days after the election, Chuck Conner, President and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, will review what we know about the election results and how they may impact farmer-owned cooperatives.
Chuck Conner, President and CEO, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
10:15 a.m. – 11 a.m. CT: Breakout Discussion Groups
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. CT: Lightning Round Session: Cooperative Research
Join this session to hear succinct, engaging presentations on the latest cooperative research topics from leading cooperative academics. Topics may include governance, impacts of 199A, cooperative financial performance, and risk management.
2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. CT: Leadership in the New Normal
2020 has been a year of overlapping crises. Between the global pandemic, an economic downturn, political and social unrest, and active fire and hurricane seasons, cooperative leaders have been put to the test. In this session, cooperative leaders will share the lessons they are learning as their organizations navigate and adapt to this “New Normal” and how they are planning for what lies ahead.
Emily Rooney, President & CEO, Agricultural Council of California
Other speakers (TBD)
3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT: Breakout Discussion Groups
Friday, November 6, 2020
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. CT: Recruiting The Next Generation of Directors
Including the perspectives of young members on cooperative boards is critical to building businesses that will thrive long into the future, however the average age and tenure of cooperative directors continues to rise. In this session, we will hear directly from young directors about their motivation for seeking election to a cooperative board, their experience serving on the board, and how cooperatives can improve their attraction and retention of young directors.
Rocky Weber, President & General Counsel, Nebraska Cooperative Council
Brittany Spurley, Director, Foremost Farms
Other speakers (TBD)
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. CT: Breakout Discussion Groups
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. CT: Fad or New Reality? Emerging Trends Resulting from COVID 19
The pandemic is likely to have long-lasting impacts on how we do business. Which changes are here to stay, and which changes are passing fads? In this session, cooperative leaders will discuss high level trends such as flexible work arrangements, workforce migration, supply chain shifts, changing consumer preferences, and omni-channel expansion within cooperatives.
Carol Kitchen, Vice President Energy and Logistics
Other speakers (TBD)
1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. CT: Breakout Discussion Groups