9th Annual Women in Ag Leadership Conference

“Leading with Resilience“

Open to All

Conference Welcome

Welcome to the 9th Annual Women in Ag Leadership Conference. This year’s theme, “Leading with Resilience,” celebrates the strength, perseverance, and innovation of women who are shaping the future of agriculture.

The two-day event focuses on leadership development, career advancement, and trending topics in agriculture. This conference has become a comfortable setting to explore new opportunities while expanding networks among those working in farming, agribusiness, and agricultural organizations, as well as students.

Once again, our wonderful guest speakers and tour hosts are generous with their time and eager to share their experiences with us. We have a friendly conference where the speakers are accessible to you. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to talk with them.

On Wednesday, we bring back the popular campus tours with some new locations such as the Alliant Energy Agriculture Innovation Lab, and some favorites that you may have missed, like the ISU Creamery.

We are excited to introduce you to American Farmland Trust Social Science Director and Women for the Land Advisor, Gabrielle McNally. Her keynote stories and wisdom around the nature of women’s leadership in agriculture will uplift and engage you.

Our intensive workshops feature strong leaders and role models. They’ll enthusiastically share their experiences with a focus on emergency preparedness, growing your career, developing strong mentoring relationships, and managing farmland to help you achieve your goals.

As we end the first day, renew your spirit with a humorous and inspirational capstone message from the Founder of Fresh Coffee Professional Growth Programs, Brenda Clark Hamilton.

On Thursday, the conference advisory committee is pleased to bring back Kiley Fleming, Executive Director of Iowa Mediation Services, this time as our day two keynote speaker. Kiley’s practical tools will help you cultivate resiliency and lean into uncertainty.

We are excited to announce the 2025 Women Impacting Ag who accomplish amazing things. This year’s honorees are Tamara Deal, Darcy Moulsby, Natalie Paino, and Loretta Reimers. Enjoy their extraordinary stories and take time to visit with them.

After lunch, two incredible scientists and leaders will discuss regenerative agriculture. The panel will feature Keri Carstens, CEO for Jord BioScience and Lisa Schulte Moore, ISU Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture and Life Sciences and Co-Director of the Bioeconomy Institute.
Thursday’s breakout sessions offer important insights and discussions on agricultural policy, women’s financial security, team building, estate and succession planning, agricultural safety, sticky workplace situations, getting through farming’s financial challenges.
Our day two capstone speaker, Julie Kenney, will encourage you to recognize your talents as you navigate challenges and embrace opportunities. Her passion for agriculture is evident as she was a 2024 Woman Impacting Agriculture Honoree and serves the industry as the CEO of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa.

This conference is designed around three key goals. We hope you’ll take home and carry with you a belief in yourself and the power of life-long learning, connections with others who inspire your leadership journey, and new skills that enhance your quality of life.

A very special thank you to our advisory committee members, guest speakers, sponsors, attendees, and everyone who are coming together to create this meaningful event.

Sincerely,
Madeline Schultz and Lisa Scarbrough, Conference Co-Chairs