Why Trade Policy Matters: International Trade and the American Farmer
Willa Cather Dining Complex, Red Cloud Room
530 N 17th Street, Lincoln, NE 68588
When it comes to agriculture, Nebraskans often sound a common refrain: “the more international trade, the better.” Their reasoning is clear: Nebraska is a leading producer and exporter of livestock, grains, and dry beans in a world where over 95% of consumers live outside the United States. But who keeps this system of open markets flowing and how can we better understand the policy that influences it? Join us for a discussion on Why Trade Policy Matters, and learn about how producer engagement, the business community, researchers, and policymakers shape international markets.
Please arrive early for a boxed lunch and the panel discussion will begin at 1:00PM CT. Hourly parking is available in the nearby 17th and R garage (300 N 17th Street). Enter the building through the south doors for direct access to the Red Cloud Room.
The option to have a boxed lunch included with your registration has closed, however registration remains open and will also be allowed day-of.
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Kelly Brunkhorst
Kelly was raised on a diversified grain and livestock operation south of Wauneta, NE. Following graduation from UNL, Kelly has managed a feed mill within a swine operation, been a district seed sales manager, and managed membership within the grain and feed industry. Kelly has served as the executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Corn Growers Association for seven years, with a prior staff position as director of research. He is also a member of the Yeutter Institute's advisory council. Kelly and his wife Carey have two boys.
Greg Ibach
Mr. Ibach works to connect UNL Research, Teaching and Extension expertise to current policy initiatives and opportunities at the state and federal government level. He also engages UNL learners interested in public service, the importance of public and private partnerships, and science-informed policy.
Mr. Ibach spent the past three years as USDA’s Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs where he carried out the MRP mission area’s broad task of facilitating domestic and international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and ensuring the health and care of animals and plants. Prior to his USDA appointment, Mr. Ibach served as Nebraska’s Director of Agriculture. Mr. Ibach holds a bachelor's degree from UNL in animal science and agricultural economics. He and his wife, Teresa, have three grown children and two granddaughters. They continue to maintain a cow/calf and grain operation in Sumner, NE.
Ginger Langemeier
Ginger Langemeier began as the Legislative Affairs Coordinator for Farm Credit Services of America and Frontier Farm Credit on March 29, 2021. Prior to joining Farm Credit Services of America and Frontier Farm Credit, Ginger served as the Agriculture Policy Advisor for United States Senator Ben Sasse for nearly 6 years. She was the principal staff member covering trade policy for his seat on the Senate Finance Committee. Ginger previously served Governor Dave Heineman as the Director of the Nebraska Energy Office from 2010 to 2015 and as the Assistant Director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture from 2008 to 2010. Ginger is a native of Hooper, Nebraska and grew up on a family farm. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville.
Fabio Mattos
Fabio Mattos is an associate professor in grain marketing and risk management and a Yeutter Faculty Fellow. He completed his PhD in Agricultural Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2008 and joined the University of Nebraska in 2013. Before joining the University of Nebraska, he was an assistant professor in the University of Manitoba (Canada) and has also taught courses in the University of Illinois and University of Sao Paulo (Brazil). Fabio’s teaching experience and research interests include commodity marketing and risk management, decision-making under risk, price analysis, and futures and options markets. Prior to taking his PhD degree and starting an academic career, Fabio worked 11 years in the industry. He has experience with trading in futures markets, economic analysis, and consulting in agriculture, retail, telecommunications, and automotive industries.
Savannah Gerlach
Savannah is a Yeutter Student Fellow and a junior from De Witt, Nebraska, majoring in agricultural economics with a public policy option and minors in international agriculture and natural resources and leadership and communications. She is the first recipient of the Steve Nelson Yeutter Institute International Trade Internship Award, sponsored by the Nebraska Farm Bureau.
Jill O'Donnell
O’Donnell is the Haggart-Work Director of the Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance and a professor of practice at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is also the creator and host of "Trade Matters," a podcast of the Yeutter Institute. Jill leads the effort to build and grow the Yeutter Institute across its mission areas of education, research, and public engagement. Her prior experience in the international relations and U.S. foreign policy arena spans Capitol Hill, international organizations, research entities, and the private sector. She is a graduate of Washington and Lee University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).