JENN WHITMER is a keynote speaker, leadership consultant, and joy-bringer specializing in workplace culture, emotional intelligence, and conflict and communication. With her Joyosity framework, she helps leaders create positive culture with complex people so work is not only a profitable place of collaboration, creativity, and engagement but also a joy. A TEDx speaker and certified Enneagram coach with a Master of Arts in Communication and Culture, Jenn has spoken for Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, nonprofits, and leadership organizations worldwide. She hosts the Joyosity™ podcast and runs her own executive coaching business. When not helping leaders, she’s likely quoting Ted Lasso while wishing her life were a Broadway musical. She lives with her husband, four nearly grown kids, and a Russian Blue cat, who's judging all their life choices, in St. Louis, Missouri.

As Chief Officer of Demand and Advocacy for the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), Matt leads organizational strategy to grow long-term demand for Iowa-grown soybeans through partnerships, innovation, and strategic investment in the biofuels and oilseed sectors. He also  co-leads Farmers Fueling the Future, a farmer-driven national initiative focused on aligning policy, certification, and market access to accelerate adoption of crop-based biofuels. 

Stephen Censky is ASA’s Chief Executive Officer, a role with which he is very familiar. Steve returned to ASA in November 2020 after serving as Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from October 2017 to November 2020. Before his appointment to USDA, he served as ASA CEO for 21 years. 

Tracy Snider is Executive Director of Industry & State Relations at the American Soybean Association, overseeing engagement with state affiliates and industry partners to advance soybean policy priorities. Tracy comes to ASA with extensive association and checkoff experience from both the National Corn Growers Association and the United Soybean Board (SmithBucklin).  She also brings ASA an impressive technical background in animal feed ingredients as well as robust marketing communications capabilities.

Alexa Combelic is Executive Director of Government Affairs for the American Soybean Association, leading its Washington, D.C., policy office. Since joining ASA in 2020, she has advanced priorities in biofuels, transportation, infrastructure, and sustainability. A former congressional staff leader for Rep. Joe Courtney and Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, she brings more than a decade of legislative and policy experience to her role. 

ASA recently welcomed David Johanson, former chairman and commissioner of the U.S. International Trade Commission, to its government affairs team. David  spent nearly 15 years at the U.S. International Trade Commission, including serving two full terms as chairman. Previously, he served nearly nine years as International Trade Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, where he advised Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and worked extensively on agricultural trade matters, including soybeans. Earlier in his career, David practiced international trade law in the private sector, where ASA was among his clients.

Kendra Pirk is Commodity Classic Manager for the American Soybean Association, where she leads ASA’s participation in the annual farmer-led event. She supports executive leadership and 25+ state affiliates while managing operations such as housing, registration, and proposal systems, ensuring seamless execution and impact. She joined the American Soybean Association with the WISHH Program in 2012 as a Conference Planner. 

Dr. Scott Gerlt is the chief economist for the American Soybean Association, where he leads market and policy analysis to guide strategic decisions. He frequently presents and writes about issues affecting the soybean industry. Before joining ASA in 2020, Scott was program leader for U.S. crop policy and analysis at the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri. While he was there, the FAPRI team received professional awards for policy research and outreach. Scott’s position at FAPRI led to his involvement in multiple farm bill evaluations for Congress, among other unique opportunities. He holds a PhD in agricultural and applied economics from the University of Missouri and continues to engage in the research community. 

Josh Rahm is the Director of Government Affairs at the American Soybean Association, where he leads state biofuels policy advocacy efforts. Raised on his family’s multi-generation farm in Iowa, Josh brings both farm-grounded roots and industry expertise from prior domestic and international roles with Corteva, Syngenta, PepsiCo, The Wonderful Company, and the California Walnut Board & Commission. Josh is committed to advancing agriculture and biofuels in ways that help farmers, businesses, and communities thrive.