Mary Kay Thatcher, senior manager, federal government and industry relations at Syngenta, hosts a panel of Washington, D.C., insiders with a collective century of experience in ag policy issues. In this session, you will hear experts decipher the outcome of the election and what the first 100 days of the next Congress holds. Mary Kay and her panelists, Chandler Goule (chief executive officer, National Association of Wheat Growers) and Tara Smith (executive vice president, Michael Torrey Associates) will provide a behind-the-scenes look into key trade and regulatory issues and how they impact U.S. farmer profitability and freedom to operate.
Mary Kay Thatcher joined the Government Relations team for Syngenta in February 2018. Prior to that, she was a lobbyist for the American Farm Bureau Federation for 31 years. In that role, she lobbied primarily on issues covering farm programs, crop insurance, conservation and credit.
Chandler Goule is NAWG’s Chief Executive Officer, coming into that role in July of 2016. In this capacity, Chandler will oversee NAWG’s industry relations, act as Executive Director of the National Wheat Foundation, and lead NAWG’s efforts to advocate for American wheat farmers. Goule has worked extensively in Washington, D.C., on agriculture, food safety and trade policy. His previous experience extends to companies such as Bayer CropScience, Syngenta and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the Washington office of Rep. Charlie Stenholm, D-Texas.
As Executive Vice President for Michael Torrey Associates, Tara Smith leads a team of talented staff focused on developing and implementing legislative and regulatory strategies, building coalitions and informing policymakers on client priorities, including work for the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB).