Agenda
“Leading with Resilience”
Wednesday, December 3 to Thursday, December 4, 2025
Gateway Hotel and Conference Center, Ames, Iowa
Click on the days below to view the schedule
Networking and Refreshments
Committee Remarks
University Welcome
Opening Speaker: Confidence and Resilience
Speaker: Gabrielle McNally, Women for the Land Director, American Farmland Trust
Gather with tour leaders
Tour A1: Jack Trice Stadium Horticulture
Tour Presenter: Adam Thoms, Associate Professor and Joe Hill, Manager of Athletics Turf Grounds
Tour A2: ISU Creamery
Tour Presenters: Sarah Canova, Business Administrator
Tour A3: Plant Pathology and Horticulture Greenhouses
Tour Presenter: Aaron Brand, Building Services Specialist
Tour A4: Digital Agriculture and Drones
Tour Presenters: Doug Houser, Digital Agriculture Extension Specialist and Ryan Huffman, Senior Manager Research
Tour A5: Equine Program and Horse Barns
Tour Presenters: Nikki Ferwerda, Associate Teaching Professor
Tour A6: Iowa Forestry
Presenter: Julia Baker, Industry Extension Specialist
Tour A7: Ag 450 Farm
Presenter: Skyler Rinker, Assistant Teaching Professor
Session B1: Cyber Emergency Preparedness – North Prairie
Speakers: Doug Jacobson, Sunil & Sujata Gaitonde Professorship in Cybersecurity and director of the ISU Center for Cybersecurity Innovation and Outreach, Jennifer Horn-Frasier, Founder and Strategist, Bluebird Sky, LLC, and Farm Management Team
Session B2: Women Managing Farmland – Central Prairie
Speakers- Gabrielle McNally, Women for the Land Director, American Farmland Trust; and Melissa O’Rourke, Attorney and Immigration Advocate; and panel guests – TBD
Session B3: Leadership and Career Advancement – South Prairie
Speaker- Brenda Clark Hamilton, Founder, Fresh Coffee Professional Growth Programs
Session B4: Generations of Wisdom Mentoring – Cardinal & Gold
Panel Speakers- TBD
Closing Speaker: Humor and Inspiration
Speaker: Brenda Clark Hamilton Founder, Fresh Coffee Professional Growth Programs
Committee remarks
Reiman Gardens Christmas
Cyclone Basketball Game
Networking and Refreshments
Committee Remarks
Keynote: Ag Policy Influencer
Speaker: Courtney Knupp, USDA Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary
Women Impacting Ag Recognition
Honorees: TBD
Session C1: Team Building – North Prairie
Speaker: Denise Forney, Vice President of Talent and Organizational Development at Iowa Corn
Session C2: Agriculture Safety – Central Prairie
Panel Speakers: Tabitha Kuehn, Outreach Coordinator, Iowa Center for Agriculture Health and Safety (I-CASH), Chris Cornelius, Co-Owner, Cornelius Seed, Roxanne Fevold, Behavioral Health Director and Mental Health Therapist at Community Health in Ft. Dodge
Session C3: Workplace Challenges – South Prairie
Speaker: Laura Smythe, ISU University Omsbuds, Attorney
Session C4: TBD – Cardinal & Gold
Speaker: TBD
Committee Remarks
Luncheon Panel: Regenerative Agriculture
Moderator: Carey Mathesius, Research Scientist, Corteva Agriscience
Speakers: Keri Karstens, CEO for Jord BioScience, and Lisa Schulte Moore, ISU Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agricultural and Life Sciences, and co-director of the Bioeconomy Institute
Session D1: Agriculture Policy and Trade – North Prairie
Speakers: Julie Kenney, Chief Executive Officer, Agribusiness Association of Iowa, and Courtney Knupp, USDA Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary
Session D2: Estate and Succession Planning – Central Prairie
Speakers: TBD
Session D3: Personal Financial Planning – South Prairie
Speaker: Ann Schlecta, Wealth Advisor, Silverleaf Wealth Management
Session D4: TBD – Cardinal & Gold
Speaker: TBD
Capstone: Resilient Leadership
Speaker: Julie Kenny, Chief Executive Officer, Agribusiness Association of Iowa
Closing Remarks and Door Prizes