Leading the Association as president will be Marc Ivey, District Sales Manager for Bush Hog, Dixie Chopper, and RhinoAg in Selma, AL. These brands are part of the Alamo Group family of companies, a leader in the North American agricultural market known for rotary cutters, finishing mowers, zero-turn mowers, and other tractor-mounted implements.

The board elected Ivey to a one-year President’s term beginning immediately. He succeeds Craig Harthoorn, former President of Oxbo Forage Division.

Serving alongside Ivey in officer roles are:
鈥� First Vice President: Scott Eisenmenger, General Manager at West Point Design in West Point, NE
鈥� Second Vice President: Phil Landoll, Vice President of Operations at Landoll Co. in Marysville, KS
鈥� Treasurer: Tim Burenga, Vice President of Sales and Purchasing at Worksaver, Inc. in Litchfield, IL
鈥� Secretary: Roger Murdock, Director of Sales and Marketing at Montag Mfg. in Trafalgar, IN
鈥� Ex-Officio: Randy Reinke, President and CEO of Custom Products of Litchfield, MN.

The officers will lead a 16-member Board of Directors. Earlier that day, at the Association鈥檚 annual business meeting, Jenny Steffensmeier owner of Steffensmeier Welding & Mfg., Inc. in Pilot Grove, IA, was elected to fill a vacated board seat. Additionally, Marc Adams, Vice President of Sales at GBGI Inc, in Chardon, OH, was also elected to a three-year term as the Supplier Section Representative.

Member companies also re-elected additional directors whose terms had expired this year. This included Marc Ivey, Phil Landoll, Roger Murdock, Kat Coombes, Manager at Tillage Management in Tulare, CA, and Clair Ellis, Manager of Ellis Equipment in Wellsville, UT. They were elected to an additional three-year term as their current terms expired.

Joe Sampson, CEO/Founder of Embo Sales Consulting, LLC, concluded his role as Supplier Section Rep on the Board of Directors. We wish to express our gratitude to Joe for the significant contributions he has dedicated to our Association.

The Association extends its appreciation to these individuals for their commitment and the time they dedicate while managing their own businesses. FEMA鈥檚 leaders and members are among the industry鈥檚 most innovative, building successful companies through determination and hard work. Their efforts continue to strengthen both the Association and the shortline industry.

by Gene Marks, 2025 Marketing & Distribution General Session Speaker. This article was originally published in .

A recent survey from Goldman Sachs found that about 68% of small-business owners are using AI 鈥� specifically generative AI 鈥渁ssistants鈥� 鈥� and another 9% plan to begin using it within the next year. Whether it鈥檚 ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, Claude, Grok, Perplexity, or other popular platforms, AI can make a significant difference to your business.

Here are six business uses that will help you increase the productivity of both yourself and your team.

Chatbots for your website: There are a number of customer service platforms targeted at small businesses like Talkdesk, Zendesk, Salesforce, and Zoho that enable their customers to easily deploy chatbots on their site that can automatically answer visitors鈥� questions or pass on the customer to a human agent for further help.

鈥淎s these tools become more advanced, they are taking on a bigger role in customer service processes,鈥� said Charanya Kannan, chief product, engineering, and customer officer at Talkdesk. 鈥淎s today鈥檚 economy drives labor and skills shortages that hinder customer experience, it鈥檚 more important than ever that companies not only invest in automated tools.鈥�

Restaurant Reservations: Sydney Grims, who is the director of business development at Fearless Restaurants, a regional restaurant chain with 14 locations including popular spots like White Dog Cafe and Moshulu, uses an AI platform called Slang.ai to take reservations and answer questions 24/7. Staff can now focus on serving their customers without phone calls distracting them.

鈥淭his is not to reduce head count,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e cannot get rid of greeters. Our goal is to provide easy answers to guests quickly. We had over 250 coinciding calls at one restaurant in a week 鈥� that鈥檚 about a thousand covers we would just lose without this platform.鈥�

Improving communications: AI assistants have become good at transcribing and summarizing online meetings as well as polishing emails, writing memos, and tightening other written communications.

鈥淲riting emails is a lifeline, but is often time-consuming when running and scaling a business,鈥� said Kevin McLaughlin, a partner at Philadelphia-based accounting and advisory firm Centri. 鈥淲e use ChatGPT to assist by quickly drafting emails that capture the right tone and message, which the owner can then personalize in minutes.鈥�

Company policies: I always tell my clients to never allow a single contract, agreement, quote, or bid to leave their office without uploading to their AI assistant for comments. These platforms have become well versed in spotting problems, identifying issues, and suggesting ways to not only improve your corporate documentation but to identify risks and protect you against potential liabilities.

Neha Arnold, CEO of Sedna Consulting Group, a technology consulting firm based in Edison, N.J., agrees. She frequently has her team use an AI assistant to help with corporate documentation by double-checking outputs, and acting as both a creative and analytical assistant. But she鈥檚 also careful to not rely on the platform entirely.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to understand AI鈥檚 limits,鈥� she said. 鈥淩ecent studies show that AI models can falter with complex reasoning. It鈥檚 best used to support 鈥� not replace 鈥� human insight.鈥�

Marketing materials and blogs: Howard McCabe, founder and creative director of Dream Syndicate, a brand specialist based in Philadelphia, leans heavily on AI to write rough scripts, create graphic styles, come up with content ideas, design and generate voice-overs and custom music.

鈥淲hen shooting a commercial if we miss a line of copy, or the talent mispronounces something, we can train the AI on the particular actors鈥� nuances and then the AI can generate a new scene with the talent saying the missing line or correcting the mispronunciation,鈥� he said.

鈥淚n addition, now we are able to have the talent speak in a different language 鈥� so if we produce a commercial in English, we can then very quickly generate that same commercial in a different language.鈥�

Not everyone鈥檚 in the content creation business, but with image and video creation platforms like Sora, Google鈥檚 Veo, and others, you can publish professional content that can help set your company apart from its competitors.

Market research and competitive analysis: Your AI assistant is a trained adviser who has the entire internet at its immediate disposal and can discuss 鈥� just like a human 鈥� any business problem, issue, or challenge. I have clients that are leaning into AI assistants for help researching markets, products and competitors, and brainstorming ways to stay ahead.

Arnold said he uses his AI assist to provide critical feedback by prompting questions like 鈥淲hy do you recommend this approach?鈥� or 鈥淲hat are the alternatives?鈥�

Other business owners, like Russ Napolitano, a partner at the Philadelphia marketing agency Xhilarate, uses an AI assistant for client discovery and meeting preparation.

鈥淏efore meeting with a prospect or client, we use ChatGPT to conduct quick discovery 鈥� researching their industry, identifying potential challenges, and surfacing relevant trends,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like having a research assistant who can brief us in minutes.鈥�

AI cannot be relied upon 100%. But what adviser can?
Even in its current infancy there are plenty of ways for today鈥檚 AI chatbots to help in your professional life.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been utilizing AI across our operations for quite some time, and it has truly transformed the way we work,鈥� Arnold said. 鈥淧ersonally, AI has allowed me to save an average of 60鈥�75 minutes every single day, time that I can reinvest directly into accelerating business growth, deepening client relationships, and exploring new opportunities.鈥�

Don鈥檛 miss Gene’s presentation on Navigating 2025 and Beyond: Strategic Moves for Manufacturers on Wednesday, October 29 at the Marketing & Distribution Convention in Las Vegas. Learn more at .

by Chris Czarnik, 2024 Marketing & Distribution Convention General Session Speaker

I often get asked by CEO’s and company presidents about ways they can increase employee retention. I first ask them, 鈥淲hat is the cost of losing and replacing an employee in your organization?鈥� I鈥檓 often met with a blank stare or a puzzled look. 鈥淲e have never put a number to that鈥︹�� is a common response.

What I know, after presenting in front of some 4,000 CEOs and company presidents over the past five years, is this: If it鈥檚 not a number on the P/L sheet, they don鈥檛 put the time and resources towards dealing with it. I鈥檓 not saying that company leaders are callous; I鈥檓 just saying that they only have the bandwidth to deal with critical issues to the organization鈥檚 financial health. So without turning retention issues into a number, it will never get the attention it needs to improve.

A few years ago, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) estimated that the cost of losing an employee, recruiting their replacement, and training them equated to 38% of that employee鈥檚 annual wages. That number is low, in my opinion, but let鈥檚 go with it for the purposes of this discussion. That would mean, if you lost and replaced four $50,000 employees last year, the cost to replace them was about $76,000. If you turned over 10 employees at that level last year, the direct and indirect cost was $190,000. So where are you tracking that number on YOUR P/L? Likely, you aren鈥檛鈥� which is kind of the crux of the issue.

The retention and development programs that I teach companies to install often cost almost $0. They do, however, cost the one thing your people (including you) likely have the least of鈥� time. It is difficult for organizations to commit the time to employee retention and development programs until they can calculate the ROI of making the effort. In the past that was hard to calculate; but no longer.

So, based on this formula, what was your organization鈥檚 cost of turnover last year? Ready to keep that loss from happening again this year? Good鈥� Read on.

How can we improve our retention efforts to decrease our employee turnover? One simple word: Significance.

If you are familiar with psychology, you may know a concept called Maslow鈥檚 Hierarchy of Needs, which states that human beings go through a series of needs as they grow as a person. These needs begin with the basics (food, water and shelter) and top out at self-actualization (experience, purpose and meaning).

For human beings, the need for significance comes somewhere in the middle of their employment journey. After working with thousands of job seekers in the middle/late part of their career, I know that two things consistently matter: 鈥淒o I make a difference in the world, and will anyone miss me if I weren鈥檛 there?鈥� If you think about your own work journey, you will probably find that after you had achieved a certain level of pay, benefits, and security, your significance to your organization, your coworkers, your customers and your community became very important to you. If that has been true for you, I think we can assume it is true for most people.

So, here鈥檚 the payoff: People stay when they can see the link between their work and the welfare of others. Those 鈥渙thers鈥� might be coworkers or customers, vendors or the community. Being able to show an employee why their work matters, and to whom, is the first big step in improving retention. People stay where they are needed and valued. That is not some vague generalization or obscure concept. Showing the link between a person鈥檚 work, and how that work makes someone鈥檚 life easier or better, creates significance in their life and fulfills one of our most basic needs. People STAY where they are NEEDED.

And by the way鈥� if you cannot connect a person鈥檚 job to significance鈥� why does the job exist in the first place?

Don鈥檛 miss Czarnik’s presentation on Revolutionizing Talent in the Modern Workforce and the Breakout Session immediately following on Wednesday, October 23 at the Marketing & Distribution Convention in Addison, TX.

Farewell Member Event: Take some time to kick back and have some fun at Sidecar Social. Enjoy ping pong, pop-a-shot, skee-ball, darts and more! Like sports? Catch Thursday night football on one of their 18-foot TVs. Get into the spirit and wear your favorite team鈥檚 gear to win exclusive Association branded merchandise. The event features dinner and round trip transportation to and from the hotel.

Spouse/Guest Tour: Grapevine鈥檚 historic district is brimming with charming antique shops, alongside local wineries. A tour director will share the town鈥檚 rich history and give you the lowdown on the Texas wine making scene. This tour will feature two wineries for generous tastings, with one stop featuring a three-course meal. The tour wraps up at a local craft beer brewery.

For more information on either of these events, call Tricia Kidd at (314) 878-2304.

We get those questions every year鈥攆rom long-time attendees and new attendees alike. We want to address a few here, but more importantly, we want to encourage you to ask. Seriously, we鈥檙e waiting for questions. We love questions.

The fall convention is unique in that it is two conventions held at the same time. There is overlap in the schedules between our Association meeting and the gathering of members from the Equipment Marketing & Distribution Association (EMDA). The overlap is designed to offer opportunities for manufacturers to meet wholesalers and independent reps, and for the professionals on the distribution side to find new product lines.

We strive to make it clear when a session is specific to this Association and when it is a joint session with EMDA. The convention is a friendly gathering, so when it鈥檚 not clear, simply ask.
(Important Note: Every registrant and every registered spouse guest gets a name badge. Consider it your ticket to just about everything. If, for example, you want to go to the Technology Council meeting, the name badge is all you need. Or, if your guest wants to join a session, the name badge serves as admission.)

We encourage every registrant to reach out to distributors you鈥檇 like to meet while in Kansas City. Start with registration lists and identify our marketing members (FarmEquip.org/FallMeetingAttendees) and EMDA鈥檚 attendees (EMDA.net). Be sure to check the Association website鈥檚 鈥淩esources鈥� tab for a distribution partners鈥� directory and schedule in-person meetings. Don’t delay – convention schedules fill quickly.

Check out page 6 and 7 to learn more about speakers Christoper Carter, Richard Brock, Brandon Dempsey, and more. You will also find info on our breakout sessions, technology panel, farewell outing and underground cave tour to name a few.

Important Deadline: Register by Sept. 11, 2023 to save $100.

Circling back to our earlier point, we鈥檙e available鈥攁nd eager鈥攖o answer your questions. Call us at (314) 878-2304. Feel free to research (and register!) at Meeting.FarmEquip.org.

Leading the Association as president will be Ben Hellbusch, the co-owner of Duo Lift Manufacturing in Columbus, Neb. The company designs and manufactures trailers and running gears for agricultural, commercial, and industrial markets for several standard and custom models. Hellbusch is the second executive from the company to be elected president.

The board elected Hellbusch to a one-year term beginning immediately. He succeeds Tim Burenga of Worksaver Inc. in Litchfield, Ill who remains on the Executive Committee in an ex officio role. Serving with Hellbusch:

• First Vice President Randy Reinke, CEO of Custom Products of Litchfield, Inc., in Litchfield, Minn.
• Second Vice President, Craig Harthoorn, President of H&S Manufacturing in Marshfield, Wis.
• Treasurer Paul Jeffrey, General Manager at Mac Don Industries, Ltd. In Kansas City, Mo.
• Secretary, Marc Ivey, Vice President at Dirt Dog Manufacturing in Commerce, GA

The officers will lead a 16-member Board of Directors. Hours before their election at the member companies annual business meeting at the Marketing and Distribution Convention in Orlando, elected three executives as directors:

• Kat Coombes, Project Manager for Tillage Management, Inc., in Tulare, Calif.
• Paul Link, Director of Sales for Vaderstad, Inc., with manufacturing facilities in Europe and North America.
• Roger Murdock, Director of Sales and Marketing for Montag Manufacturing in Seward, Neb.

Member companies also re-elected directors whose terms had expired this year. This included Marc Ivey, Paul Jeffrey, Clair Ellis with Ellis Equipment, Phil Landoll with Landoll Corp and Joe Sampson with Osmundson, Manufacturing.

鈥淣othing is more valuable than our members time, yet since our Association鈥檚 most early days, executives from our member companies continue to give their time and energy to the Association to serve the industry and set our course for the future,鈥� said Executive Vice President Vernon Schmidt. 鈥淥ur leadership and members make up the industry鈥檚 very best innovators. They are nimble and respond quickly when farmers鈥� needs change. They are, for the most part, companies that began with big ideas and modest means, and through the years, this Association has worked to support our membership so they can focus on their next big idea.鈥�

Our Association has remained strong due to great member leadership. Our current directors continue that great tradition. If you would like to learn more about how directors are selected and what鈥檚 involved in serving, please give Schmidt a call in the St. Louis office at 314-878-2304.

Lisa Ryan, who recently presented at the general session at the Marketing & Distribution Convention, offers strategies on how to enhance your employees connection and commitment to your organization.

For the last several years, we’ve heard that 87% of employees are open to exploring new job opportunities. These days, the conversations center around “quiet quitting” and “quiet firing.” What’s the difference?

Quiet quitting is an informal term for minimizing the work an employee commits to a job, such as by stopping completing any tasks not specifically listed in the job description. They stop going above and beyond and only do the work they are being paid to do. Employees don’t share this information, so it’s up to the manager to detect changes and see what they can do to rectify the situation.

Simply put, employees are burned out. The pandemic caused a lot of business disruption, leading to staff cutbacks so the business could survive financially. Staff members who were left to pick up the slack were willing because they believed it would be a temporary situation. However, as business leaders saw that they could get by with fewer employees, they’ve been slow to bring people back.

On the other hand, quiet firing is when managers avoid firing employees outright. Instead, they use a variety of passive-aggressive tactics that have the same result as the firing they desire. Examples include: routinely giving employees their least favorite duties, not including them in certain email threads, and excluding them from specific gatherings. It can also be due to overburdening someone with tasks that cause burnout.

Both of these concepts wreak havoc on employee culture. Employees leave their company when they don’t feel connected to their job and the people they work with. In many cases, employees aren’t quitting their job; they’re quitting the culture. Get the culture right, and you can turn things around.

Because people are the number one resource for every organization, engaging with them personally is critical. When company leaders pay attention to the “little things,” they maintain a higher retention rate, improved productivity, and increased engagement that organizations that ignore niceties that create a good culture.

Yes, creating an engaged culture at your workplace is essential, but how do you do it? Here are three ways to create a connected culture and keep your top talent from becoming someone else’s.

An Attitude of Accessibility. Trust is the foundation on which you build your culture. If there is no trust between leadership and employees, nothing else matters. However, by committing to your culture 鈥� and sticking with it, you can turn things around.

When leaders get to know their team members individually, show empathy for their challenges, share information openly and honestly, and let their employees get to know them, the employees are more likely to feel connected to the organization.

Another great strategy to improve accessibility is the “stay interview.” Set up times to meet with your people one-on-one. Ask them what they like about their job, what would cause them to leave and what resources they need. Go into these conversations with a “thank you for sharing” attitude, act on the suggestions made, and give credit where credit is due.

Level Up the Learning. Help your team become better tomorrow than they are today. This means providing continuing education and professional development opportunities to help them grow themselves. Be creative in your programming and get member feedback on what THEY would find most beneficial.

You’ll find that when you invest in your employees, you’ll see many benefits. Your people will not only work harder for you, but they will also feel that you value them and their contributions.

Rock Your Recognition. Catch your team in the act of doing things well. In other words, find ways to acknowledge, appreciate, and applaud the efforts of your team members.

Mother Teresa once said, “We are more starved for appreciation than bread.”

When you give positive feedback, don’t just say, “Great job!” Be specific. Look for ways to recognize your employees in the way that they like to be acknowledged. Written notes are a terrific way to connect. When you tell someone you appreciate them, you create a wonderful memory.

To get started, sit down with your leadership team and determine the type of culture you want to create. When you have your plan, choose one or two of the top long-term ideas. Then do it.

Lisa Ryan, CSP, is the Founder of Grategy and is an award-winning speaker and best-selling author of eleven books, including “Manufacturing Engagement: 98 Proven Strategies to Attract and Retain Your Industry’s Top Talent.” Learn more at .

Maximize Your Time: The convention brings together hundreds of representatives of companies in the specialized farm equipment industry. If there are specific people you want to meet, set up appointments as soon as possible. Don’t wait until you get to the convention to make initial contact. Use our registration list to reach out to potential business partners before the convention.

Communications Center: The Joint Industry Communications Center is located in Crystal. This is where you will want to post your contact info and find contact info for others. EMDA provides the same opportunity for its attendees. You will find that the Communications Room is a great place to network with fellow attendees of both associations.

Connect with Your Mobile Device: You can add our browser-based app to your smart phone by going to m.FarmEquip.org on your phone鈥檚 web browser. Tap the arrow box at the bottom and add it to your home screen. Here you can ask a question, access the convention schedule, attendee directory, weather, local restaurants, transportation, and the latest Shortliner newsletter.

Connect with attendees directly using the Whova app. Download, install, and sign in using your email address, LinkedIn, or Facebook. You can access the program, network with attendees, schedule meetings, plan group outings, see exhibitors and sponsors, and more. Use Meeting Code: qqibtvt51a

Access Registration Lists: You can see EMDA鈥檚 registration list at FarmEquip.org/emda and schedule meetings in advance. You will have time to meet independent reps and wholesalers during the Contact Session and Marketplace on Wednesday and networking opportunities throughout the convention.

Room Reservations: If you need to adjust your room reservation, please contact Tricia Kidd at (314) 878-2304. After Thursday, October 20, room changes should be handled directly with the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista at (407) 827-4000.

Dress Code: Attire for the fall convention is a little snazzier than the spring, but no one has been refused admittance for opting for a more casual dress code. You will see sports coats. You will see khakis. You will see pull-overs and button-downs. Because folks are often arriving at the hotel moments before the Welcome Reception, it tends to be more casual.

A Special Thanks to Convention Sponsors
The Association, like its member companies, strives to deliver the best product it can for the greatest value. In our case, one of our signature products is the Marketing & Distribution Convention. Your registration fees, of course, help offset the cost of hosting the meeting. We also have sponsors who give generously to support a speaker session, refreshment break, or welcome station. We would like to acknowledge these sponsors and invite others to join them.

Their sponsorships offer them elevated visibility among convention attendees, and they demonstrate good will, because their contributions help keep costs low for attendees. If you would like to learn about opportunities to sponsor a portion of the Marketing & Distribution Convention, go to FarmEquip.org, or call (314) 878-2304.

Go to FarmEquip.org to register, check out who is attending and take advantages of valuable networking opportunities. And now, let’s meet our speakers:

Pressure Cooker Confidence: Deliver Peak Performance in all Situations
Lt. Colonel Kevin Sweeney survived a combat mission when two engines on his left wing ripped off in flight. He will teach you how to differentiate yourselves from the competition and win in the marketplace. You will learn how to demonstrate confidence under pressure and practice decisive and effective leadership.

U.S. Agricultural Economy
Dr. Mintert is a professor and extension economist at Purdue University鈥檚 Department of Agricultural Economics and Director of the Center for Commercial Agriculture. He will examine the factors affecting farmers’ machinery purchases, and sense of the current status and health of the US agricultural economy.

Smart Strategies to Keep Your Top Talent
Lisa Ryan will provide fresh perspective on key engagement strategies that will enhance your employees鈥� connection and commitment to your organization to create a workplace culture that attracts and retains the industry’s top talent.

Employee Retention with Lincoln Capital
A business is only as good as it鈥檚 people. Judd Norman, Chris Stemler and Truman Faeh will discuss the challenges of employers in this competitive job market and will help our members design custom plans that attract and retain their key employees.

Dealer and Distributor Relationships
Trent M. Johnson is a litigator, business counselor and trial lawyer. His presentation will focus on termination issues followed by an 鈥淎MA鈥� 鈥� 鈥淎sk Me Anything” session related to terminations.

Election Overview: State Tax, and Budget Policy Update
Morgan Scarboro will provide an overview of the November elections with a focus on the partisan makeup of the states. She will also present an update on tax and budget policy in the states and what to expect in 2023.

Member Resource Spotlight: Cybersecurity
Fernanda Rosen is a marketing strategist with Zywave (formerly Enquiron) which is providing a new cybersecurity benefit to Association members. She will discuss the risks of cyber attacks and detail the comprehensive resources available to our members to prevent a cyber attack and recover from one.

We are instead inviting you to a brief and high-impact online get-together.
The Association will host its annual business meeting virtually at 10:30 a.m. CST Wednesday, Oct. 28.

After a brief report from Association leadership and the election of directors, attendees will meet former White House insider Ray Starling, who will offer his thoughts on what鈥檚 ahead as the U.S. prepares for elections on Nov. 3.

鈥淲e did not see the value of staging a three-day online convention, because what our members want is to be in the same room with other members,鈥� said Vernon Schmidt, executive vice president. 鈥淏ut we also know that Ray, who was scheduled to join us live in Orlando, has terrific insights to share. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to connect briefly on screen and hear from a thought leader on a timely, high-stakes issue.鈥�

Starling joined the White House staff in 2017 as special assistant to the president for agricultural policy. In 2018, he became chief of staff for USDA鈥檚 Sonny Perdue. He returned to his home state of North Carolina in 2019 to serve as general counsel to the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce. In spite of his remarkable career, Starling said the experience in his life that has most shaped him is growing up his family鈥檚 farm.

His plan for his brief online session is to cut through the noise and make attendees think.

鈥淚 believe that folks are so fed up with the partisan babble at the top, from the media, and in their social media feeds, that they are always pleased to hear from someone who will cut through all of that and make them think,鈥� Starling said.

His talk will focus on possible outcomes of the election and the implications for the farm equipment industry and agriculture overall.

Watch for details about the 60-minute virtual session on Oct. 28 in upcoming issues of Shortliner.

Members who registered for the convention can expect a refund by the end of September. If you have not heard from the Association regarding your refund, contact Tricia Kidd at TKidd@FarmEquip.org, or call (314) 878-2304.

If you would like to nominate an executive from a regular member company to stand for election to the Board of Directors at the annual meeting, submit that information to a member of the Nominating Committee for Directors, which includes Mike Kloster, Marc McConnell, Ric Kirby, and Don Landoll.

Find contact information for committee members in the Association directory at .

鈥淲hile our registration numbers lagged significantly behind other years, it was heartening to see just how many people were eager to join us for the convention this year,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淲e are of course disappointed we will not be together, but we are confident this was the responsible decision. It will be a remarkable reunion when we gather in Kansas City.鈥�

Mark your calendars for an unforgettable Supply Summit 2021. It is April 7 to 9 at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Starling is expected to join us in person for the Summit to offer further perspective on the state of the nation.