2008 Directors Gather for First Quarterly Meeting NAFB's Executive Board of Officers and Directors gathered their first quarterly meeting January 22-23 in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, with an agenda headlined by framing a 2008 Plan of Work that fits the 5-Year Strategic Plan engineered during 2007. A "chalkboard session" aired a broad range of potential tactics that fit the five major program goals of the Association. Board members now are filtering those ideas to align with 2008 priorities. Among actions taken during the meeting:
Directors participated in a discussion of "Effective Board Service: Partners in Policy, Strategy and Leadership," presented by David Renz, director of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, Henry W. Bloch School of Business & Public Administration, University of Missouri -- Kansas City. He outlined individual and collective responsibilities of Board members serving their member organization. New President Randy Koenen chaired the meeting, joined by fellow Officers Pam Jahnke (President-Elect) and Greg Akagi (National Vice President). Also present were Management and Sales Council Directors Don Schultz and Denny Waddle; Allied Industry Council Director Cindy Cunningham; Regional Vice Presidents Tom Cassidy (East), Bob Bosold (West), and John Jenkinson (South). Executive Director Bill O'Neill and NAFB Operations Manager Susan Tally also were present. The Board's next scheduled quarterly meeting is Monday, April 28, in Washington DC. Teleconference meetings are scheduled, as need is determined, on an interim basis.    The 2008 NAFB Board of Directors (above
left) heard from Marketing & Promotion Advisory Board
chair Kyle Bauer (top) and non-profit leadership
mentor David Renz.
Mike Parry in High Gear Leading NAFB
Marketing
Mike has been heavy on the phone the past month, establishing personal relationships and collecting ideas and perspective from management members and broadcasters. He is using some of that to build PowerPoint and other resources for presentation use. He attended the Region III North Central NAMA Chapter awards dinner and event, to establish valuable industry contacts. He also made a Rotary Club presentation about the rural lifestyle market. Mike spent a few days of late at the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association winter conference, making visits to several NAFB broadcast, management, and allied members en route and on his return to Waseca, Minn., where he lives. He also arranged to stop at a Madison agency that had expressed an interest in the rural lifestyle market and our national research -- and now also in joining NAFB. He is continuing to explore strategic partnering opportunities with the Radio Advertising Bureau, including in shared research, as well as other organizations. Mike's upcoming travels include all next week in Nevada at the huge SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference) in Las Vegas, followed by the Cattle Industry Convention/NCBA in Reno, where NAFB will be exhibiting. The SHOT show is the 29th largest annual trade show in the nation. At the other end of February, he will be attending the Commodity Classic in Nashville. Mike will be sharing updates and insights about his marketing activity in future editions of eChats. You can reach Mike at mike@nafb.com.  It
was Jan. 17, 1983 when Farm Director Tom Rothman
aired the first farm broadcast to stations throughout
the state of Minnesota via the Minnesota News Network.
Shortly thereafter, the Minnesota Farm Network (MFN) was
formed. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the MFN,
a network that broadcasts 16 farm programs daily, and is
heard on 33 radio stations across the state. Tom remembers he was one of six
staff members involved in starting the network
operation, and he was the only one on the farm side.
"I've really enjoyed my years as a farm
broadcaster here," he said.
 Tom started his broadcast career in
1980 in Waterloo, Iowa, and joined the NAFB that same
year. His favorite part about being a farm broadcaster
is, and always has been, meeting and talking with
farmers. "Farmers are the primary reason I've
enjoyed farm broadcasting for all these years," Tom
said. "There's something special about people who farm
or who were raised on farms and they clearly don't get
enough credit for feeding and clothing the world."
To commemorate MFN's silver anniversary,
Tom said the networks will be carrying out
various events throughout the year. And a celebration
will be held during the MFN annual conference in May.
President's Report  NAFB 2008 President Randy Koenen invites you to listen to his "President's Minute" by clicking here.
Colleen Callahan Seeks State Nod for Congress
Numerous people have asked Colleen to run, and after discussing it with family and friends, she is now actively seeking the support of the party's 20 county chairmen. "I'm excited about this prospect," Colleen said. This would be her first foray into politics, though Colleen feels her professional experience with business and agriculture will make her a worthy candidate. A native of Milford, Illinois, she has worked in broadcasting for more than 30 years, mostly covering and commenting on agribusiness issues at Peoria's WMBD Radio. In 2003, she started her own communications firm and currently heads Colleen Callahan Communications in addition to broadcasting on WGFA Radio in Watseka, Illinois. Story taken from The State Journal-Register,
Springfield, Illinois.
USDA Senior Radio Reporter/Producer Retires
Brenda spent more than 28 years with the USDA, covering international trade as it relates to agriculture, economics, the Farm Bill, as well as topics of interest to consumers including landscaping, food safety and financial advice. She has reported from every region of the United States and has traveled abroad to the World Trade Headquarters in Geneva, World Trade Talks in Seattle, Brussels, Belgium and Montreal. She has covered President Reagan, Bush and Clinton as well as Agriculture Secretaries Bergland, Block, Lyng, Yeutter, Madigan, Espy and Glickman. Many of her broadcasts were heard around the world via the internet. She conducted her first radio broadcast when she was a freshman at Kent State University in 1962. Her interest in the field stayed with her after she transferred to Salem College in West Virginia, and she was hired for her first radio job after she won a local speaking contest. Her broadcast positions include television as well as radio. She served as a TV anchorwoman in Clarksburg and Wheeling, Va., and Pittsburgh, Pa., before moving to Washington, D.C. She joined NAFB in 1981. Brenda has received numerous awards for her radio productions including numerous "Gold Screen" Awards. Her immediate retirement plans include improving her golf game, remaining active in her church, and various landscaping projects. USDA's Larry Quinn was recently
interviewed for a radio program titled "Communications
in Transition." Hosted and produced by Lillian Brown,
the Georgetown University Forum is a weekly radio
program that usually highlights research and expertise
of Georgetown University faculty with occasional guest
appearances.
The program airs internationally via
National Public Radio, Armed Forces Radio Network, Voice
of America and other syndicated broadcast networks.
Lillian teaches voice and diction courses for
Georgetown, but she also has assisted nine U.S.
Presidents, from Eisenhower to Clinton,
with makeup for TV appearances as a longtime employee of
CBS News.
"Lillian was one of six
professionals that we engaged 23 years ago to help us at
USDA to transition from motion picture production to
live via satellite TV broadcasts to reach audiences in
rural America. She invited me to be on her program to
detail the changes in communications that I have
observed in the 45 years since first becoming a radio
announcer at age 17," Larry says.
During the discussion, Larry was
able to highlight the long and continued importance of
farm broadcasters in reaching farmers, ranchers and
rural citizens with vital information about agriculture.
He emphasized that radio has survived many years of
transitions and continues to be vital in reaching rural
Americans, including those who live there for the
lifestyle that it offers.
"It was a great reminiscence for me to
think back over the 45 years of progress in
communications that I have witnessed. With the speed of
delivery and advanced technology we have today, it
amplifies the responsibilities we all have in assuring
the accuracy and integrity of the messages about
agriculture that we communicate each day," says Larry.
 Susan
Tally has been named Operations Manager of the NAFB. The
promotion became effective January 1, recognizing the
broadened role and responsibilities she has accumulated
since joining the organization in 2002. In her new position, Susan will add
several new responsibilities to her existing office and
facilities management duties. These include taking on
increased responsibility in membership administration
and processes; Convention and event planning and
coordination; NAFB News Service and NAFB Foundation
budgets and business; and providing administrative
support for the Executive Director. She also will work
with a number of NAFB's professional service providers
and vendors.
Susan is responsible for overseeing
Association financials, including statements and
invoicing, accounts receivable, payment processing,
audit compliance, and payroll. In the past year, she
implemented new accounting software in collaboration
with NAFB's new CPA firm. She serves the Association and
membership in many ways that are not always visible, but
that ensure that NAFB operations are carefully planned,
timely, accountable, and thorough.
 NAFB Farm Broadcasters covered the
Dakota Farm Show at Vermillion, South Dakota. Pictured
from left to right: Dennis Morrice, KMEG-TV,
Chad Moyer, KTIC Radio, and Emery Kleven of
Price Discovery.com. Not pictured but also at the farm
show was Michelle Rook of WNAX Radio.
Cattle Industry Annual Convention
National Association of Conservation Districts National Farm
Machinery Show USDA
Agricultural Outlook Forum Commodity
Classic National Pork Industry
Forum National Farmers Union South Region
|
New
Marketing Consultant Mike Parry has immersed
himself in ramping up about agricultural and rural
lifestyle broadcasting, as he begins to make "the
rounds" on behalf of NAFB member businesses. 
Colleen
Callahan, WGFA Radio, is asking the Democratic Party to be
its nominee this fall for the 18th Congressional District in
Illinois. 
After
a 40-plus year career in the field of broadcasting,
Brenda Curtis-Heiken, USDA Senior Radio
Reporter/Producer, retired on January 3. She was honored at
a special program January 11 in Washington, D.C., where she
was presented with the NAFB President's Appreciation Award.