Annual Conference Speakers

Opening Keynote

The Perils of a Debtor Nation: Debt- Trade, and the Agriculture and Manufacturing Sectors

Ernie Goss, Ph.D. is the Jack MacAllister Chair in Economics at Creighton University. He is also principal of the Goss Institute. Dr. Goss, a U.S. military veteran, is a former faculty research fellow at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. He was a visiting scholar with the Congressional Budget Office.  He has published more than 100 research studies focusing primarily on economic forecasting and on the statistical analysis of business and economic data. His book Changing Attitudes Toward Economic Reform During the Yeltsin Era was published by Praeger Press, and his book Governing Fortune: Casino Gambling in America was published by the University of Michigan Press. He is editor of Economic Trends, an economics newsletter published monthly with more than 11,000 subscribers, produces a monthly business conditions index for the nine-state Mid-American region, and conducts a survey of bank CEOs in 10 U.S. states.

Breakout 1

Policy Crosswinds: Federal Decisions Shaping the Ag Economy

Shaun Haney is the founder of RealAgriculture, a leading North American ag media platform delivering news and insights on policy, agronomy, and farm management. He hosts RealAg Radio on SiriusXM’s Rural Radio Channel 147. Shaun is also a regular contributor to RFD-TV, Agritalk, and US Farm Report, and co-leads RealAgristudies, a farmer-focused market research initiative launched in 2019.

Jenny Mesirow is Executive Vice President of Government Affairs for the Farm Credit Council, where she advocates for policies that support agriculture and rural communities. With nearly two decades of experience in Washington, D.C., she has built strong bipartisan relationships across Congress and the agricultural advocacy community. Before joining the Farm Credit Council in 2011, she served as Legislative Director to Congressman Travis Childers and held roles in congressional and campaign offices. Mesirow frequently speaks at conferences and industry events about Farm Credit's legislative priorities and impact. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from the University of Florida and lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and two children.

Dr. Joe Outlaw is a Regents Fellow, Professor and Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University.He also serves as the C0-Director of the Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC) at Texas A&M University. In this role, Dr. Outlaw frequently interacts with members of Congress and key agricultural committee staff, as well as stakeholders, to provide feedback on the likely consequences of agricultural policy changes. His extension education and applied research activities are focused on assessing the impacts of commodity programs, crop insurance, renewable energy, and climate change legislation on U.S. agricultural operations. Dr. Outlaw has received 38 state, regional and national awards for his policy education efforts and has been awarded Fellow of both the Southern and Western Agricultural Economics Associations and the Board of Regents at Texas A&M University. Dr. Outlaw is originally from Devine, Texas. He received his B.S (1987), M.S. (1988), and Ph.D. (1992) degrees from Texas A&M University, all in agricultural economics.

Matt Valesko is the president of Valesko Public Affairs LLC and a seasoned government affairs professional with extensive experience in agricultural policy. Before founding his firm in August of 2025, he worked at the Conaway Graves Group, a leading agricultural lobbying firm, where he served as the primary liaison for clients across the food and agriculture sectors. In this role, he collaborated closely with Capitol Hill, the Administration, and key industry stakeholders to advance legislative and regulatory priorities. Valesko has worked extensively with the Senate and House Agriculture Committees, helping shape hearings, legislation, and other initiatives critical to the agricultural industry. He recently helped clients achieve major policy wins in the One Big Beautiful Bill. Earlier in his career, he served as Government Relations Manager at Williams & Jensen, LLC, and held a government relations role with the National Cotton Council, supporting its Political Action Committee and related activities. A graduate of North Carolina State University with a degree in Political Science, Matt lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, McKenzie.

Breakout 2

Past as Prologue: The Changing Language of Rural Property Professionals

Dr. Terry Griffin is Professor of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University and a nationally recognized expert in precision agriculture, farm data, digital agriculture, and agricultural technology adoption. With more than two decades of experience spanning academia, consulting, extension, and production agriculture, his research focuses on helping producers improve profitability through data-driven decision making and emerging technologies. Dr. Griffin has authored hundreds of scholarly publications, secured millions of dollars in research funding, and developed widely used decision-support tools for farmers and agricultural professionals. His work has earned numerous national and international awards, including the PrecisionAg Award of Excellence, Precision Ag Researcher of the Year, and the International Society of Precision Agriculture's Pierre Robert Young Scientist Award. He is a frequent speaker and media contributor on topics ranging from farm data and automation to space weather impacts on agricultural technology.

Breakout 3

The Infrastructure Behind Intelligence: Data Centers, AI and the Rural Opportunity

Jeff Johnston is the Lead Digital Infrastructure Economist at CoBank, where he analyzes emerging technologies, business models, and trends in the digital infrastructure market. Before joining CoBank in 2018, he was an equity analyst covering tech, media, and telecom, and held senior management roles in the telecom sector.

General Session

Our Best Days Are Ahead: AI and the Augmented Appraiser

Justin Gohn, CRE, MAI, SRA, founded Gohn & Company in 2006, providing appraisal and consulting services throughout the greater Philadelphia market. He served as the 2025 President of the Philadelphia Metropolitan Chapter of the Appraisal Institute and currently serves on the Appraisal Institute's National Board of Directors. A keynote speaker and published author in Valuation Magazine, he is a recognized thought leader on artificial intelligence applications in real estate valuation.

Breakout 5

Waters of the West

Tom Davis joined the Yuma County Water Users' Association as manager in January 2007. Prior to joining YCWUA, Tom was manager of the Carlsbad Irrigation District, Carlsbad , NM. He was also employed for fifteen years by the USDA-Forest Service. Tom is a graduate of Oklahoma State University.

Douglas DeFlitch is the Director of Water Intelligence for Agcor, where he specializes in water availability, water rights, and risk analysis for agricultural lending. He is also the founder of Douglas DeFlitch Consulting LLC, drawing on more than 25 years of experience in western water policy, infrastructure, and resource management. Previously, he served as Chief Operating Officer of the Friant Water Authority and spent a decade with the Bureau of Reclamation in California and Oregon. DeFlitch holds a master's degree in Geology from California State University and has completed the USDA Graduate School Executive Leadership Program. Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family and working toward his goals of building a homestead and launching a bourbon brand.

Darryll Olsen, Ph.D. serves as Board Representative for the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association, a technical/policy/legal srevices irrigation group; he has worked with CSRIA since 1992. He also has worked directly or consulted with Argonne National Laboratory (hydro power review), Pacific NW Utilities Conference Committee (power resources planner), Northwest Irrigation Utilities (power rate allocations and ESA-EIS issues), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Columbia River fish survival reports and economic values), and several other state/local agencies and private firms. He has extensive experience in water resources management including decades of work on Columbia-Snake River ESA-NEPA litigation, and water right review for Water Conservancy Boards (changes/transfers). He has prepared detailed economic impact studies for the Odessa Subarea irrigation development (state sponsored review); the Southeast Idaho groundwater irrigation impacts; and the Lake Power Pipeline (UT) water supply study (Colorado River).

Skye Root is the Founder of Root Agricultural Advisory, where he manages and grows farmland portfolios across the Western United States, and is also a FINRA-licensed investment banker specializing in food and agriculture opportunities. He previously served as a Senior Vice President with Westchester Group Investment Management and worked as a water rights consultant for WestWater Research. A licensed real estate broker in six western states, Skye is active in numerous professional organizations, including ASFMRA, where he was named the 2022 Farm Manager of the Year. He also received multiple national land brokerage awards from the Realtors Land Institute in 2023. Raised on a family farming and ranching operation, Skye continues to farm and ranch with his family while teaching, serving his community, and pursuing outdoor interests.

Breakout 6

Raising the Bar for Financial Literacy

Shaun Haney is the founder of RealAgriculture, a leading North American ag media platform delivering news and insights on policy, agronomy, and farm management. He hosts RealAg Radio on SiriusXM’s Rural Radio Channel 147. Shaun is also a regular contributor to RFD-TV, Agritalk, and US Farm Report, and co-leads RealAgristudies, a farmer-focused market research initiative launched in 2019.

Breakout 7

Interest-Based Communication

Vance Crow is a communications strategist, professional speaker, and founder of Legacy Interviews, a company dedicated to preserving personal and family histories through recorded interviews. He is widely recognized for his expertise in communication, negotiation, and agricultural issues, having spoken to more than 300,000 people on complex and often controversial topics. Prior to founding Legacy Interviews, Vance led global consumer engagement efforts for Monsanto and held communications roles with organizations including the World Bank Group and the Peace Corps. He currently serves on the board of FCS Financial, a $7 billion agricultural lending cooperative, and hosts popular podcasts focused on agriculture, culture, and current events. Vance holds a master's degree in Cross-Cultural Negotiations from Seton Hall University and is an award-winning communicator within the agricultural industry.

Closing Keynote

Basically Incredible: The Basics Done Consistently

Matt Booth, CSP, is a nationally recognized keynote speaker, coach, and author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Basically Incredible. For more than 30 years, Matt has helped organizations, associations, schools, and businesses improve attitude, communication, leadership, and personal performance. A Certified Speaking Professional (CSP)—a designation held by fewer than 15% of professional speakers worldwide—Matt combines practical strategies, relatable stories, humor, and real-world experience to create programs that are both entertaining and actionable. His message is simple: success often comes from doing the basics consistently. Matt lives in Dubuque, Iowa, and speaks throughout the United States, helping audiences move from knowing to doing.

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