2022: A Productive Year, Thanks to You

From the President

2022: A Productive Year, Thanks to You

By Brent Kemp, AgGateway President and CEO

It’s hard to believe the year is almost over. Starting at the North America Annual Meeting and Conference last month and continuing at our Europe and Latin America regional year end meetings later this month, these year-end gatherings offer opportunities to reflect on accomplishments, recognize volunteer efforts, and refine our ideas and priorities for the year to come. We also have a chance to rest (another good “r” word) for a short while before the new year comes around.

In the United States last week, we immersed ourselves in our annual Thanksgiving holiday festivities, which give all of us here a chance to reflect on the people and things for which we are particularly thankful. It is in this spirit that I would like to share my thanks to our members and volunteers.

Recognizing the significant contributions of our members and volunteers is one of the most rewarding parts of our staff’s work. I’d like to again thank our 2022 conference sponsors, meeting hosts, and communications partners for tangibly demonstrating their belief in standards-based interoperability – and in AgGateway as the place for those conversations to happen. Congratulations to our award winners: Jim Glynn, WinField United; Bruno Lucio, Topcon; Jeff Griffeth, Co-Alliance; and Joe Gifford, Syngenta. Each of these individuals has led from the front, sharing their success stories, and bringing others together to increase efficiencies in the industry. Thank you all, and congratulations again.

I’m thankful for the continued engagement of member companies and volunteers around the world who step into leadership roles. I look forward to working with some exceptional individuals serving in these key positions in 2023, including our new board chairperson, Feroz Sheikh, Syngenta, and newly elected and re-elected board members: Scott Charbo, Nutrien; Bernd Kalffass, Topcon; Guilherme Panes, Jacto; Jacob Crow, GROWMARK; and Ryan Risdal, Proagrica. Our board and regional steering committee members bring a passion for advancing digital agriculture, and their ideas and insights are critical to ensuring that AgGateway addresses member needs.

Thank you to all our volunteers who carry the success message back to your companies. Thank you to those who work with our staff to present to internal leaders and stakeholders. Thank you to those who are building the list of pain points and opportunities yet to be solved - and that will become 2023’s Meetups and Working Groups. Thank you to the AgGateway staff for a year of meeting and exceeding expectations, promoting member value, and expanding industry awareness of AgGateway, its mission, and its resources.

December is a slower month for us all as we take time to observe holidays and be with family and friends. January will have us hitting the ground at a sprint here in the US as we engage with potential AgGateway stakeholders as part of a three-city Connectivity Roadshow starting January 11 in Altoona, IA. And we’ll pick up the ball quickly on virtual segment meet ups for crop protection, crop nutrition, seed, and precision ag.

I look forward to seeing you in the new year, and I am thankful that together we continue to enable business efficiency and industry sustainability. Happy holidays, and a prosperous new year to one and all.