eConnectivity Matters

Election Reflections 

By Wendy Smith, AgGateway President and CEO 

Finally, it’s almost over. If you’re like most Americans – including myself, you’re relieved to be in the home stretch of the U.S. presidential election. The level of political discourse during the past few months truly sank to new depths, at least in my memory. 

But there’s been another election in the past few weeks, which stands in sharp contrast to the national race – the election of AgGateway’s new Strategic Board and council leadership positions for 2017. Sure, I know there’s not much controversy when it comes to selecting leaders for our organization, compared with choosing the leader of the Free World, but I can’t help point out some of the more positive aspects of our election. 

Our membership nominated leaders, and then our voting member companies elected them in a ballot vote last month – the results which we’re looking forward to sharing next week at the Annual Conference in Orlando. I just want to share how proud I am both of this process and of the leaders who have been chosen. As these leaders take office, they are demonstrating dedication to something they believe in beyond themselves, and action toward a goal that will improve agriculture as a whole. They’ve dedicated themselves to putting aside provincial (company-specific) perspectives to take on a more global view – what will work best for the industry – even as they understand that this serves their own companies in the process. They’re walking into their new roles committed to civil discourse and collaboration, to bridging the gap with others who may have differing perspectives, and encouraging participation from those whose views might otherwise be overlooked. 

Here’s an election we can be proud of! And leaders who I am confident will take AgGateway into another strong year of progress for eConnectivity in agriculture.

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