The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) proudly marks 60 years of advancing the professional development of agri-marketers across the country this year. Since 1957, when a small group of ag marketers joined in Chicago to talk shop, NAMA has grown to include over 1,700 professional members and 22 chapters. This includes 34 student chapters that sprang from the success of NAMA’s first student chapter at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in 1968.
NAMA National President, Matt Coniglio, Penton Agriculture praises the vision of NAMA’s founders and looks forward to what the future holds for the organization.
“From the start, NAMA has attracted the most dedicated and forward thinking members of the agri-marketing industry,” says Coniglio. “We look back with pride on the founding and growth of NAMA. Today’s leadership is energized to move ahead in that same spirit.”
Since NAMA’s modest beginnings, leadership has been passed down among some of the most prestigious agri-marketing professionals in the industry. Today, Jennifer Pickett serves as Executive Vice President/CEO, shepherding the execution and implementation of the vision of NAMA’s Board and Executive Committee.
“NAMA is a strong and progressive organization,” Pickett shares. “As marketing professionals, our membership is agile and accepting of change—in fact, they challenge us to constantly improve and evolve.
“We have a strong foundation to build upon and we’ve done some exciting work in recent years to ensure that we remain a vital and leading-edge resource for our professional and student members.”
NAMA hosts an annual conference and other events focused on professional development and education such as NAMA Bootcamp, Fall Conference and Webinars throughout the year. The organization also hosts the Leadership and Best of NAMA Awards to recognize the work and success of NAMA members.
“The future of American agriculture is strong and so is the participation and engagement of our membership,” Pickett concludes. “We’re well positioned for another fantastic 60 years of supporting agri-marketing leaders at every stage in their careers.”
