WASHINGTON, DC, US —Topics ranging from helping legacy private businesses endure to the effects of artificial intelligence on customer service will be covered in keynote presentations at the 2024 annual meeting of the North American Millers’ Association.

NAMA will gather Sept. 12-15 for the annual meeting at the Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho, US.

A co-founder of four companies and the Tugboat Institute, Dave Whorton will speak on “A Purpose Driven Business,” at the start of the Sept. 13 general session. Established in 2013 in Sun Valley, the Tugboat Institute is a membership organization dedicated to helping companies thrive and endure as private businesses.

Following Whorton will be author, consultant and business leader Brad Cleveland, who will discuss “Unlocking the Power of Customer Experience.” In addition to pillars of customer experience and generational trends, the session will look at the competitive landscape and how developments such as artificial intelligence are shaping service and customer expectations.

“Understanding and leveraging customer experience has never been more critical for building customer loyalty, growing and protecting market share, and driving profitability,” NAMA said.

Following the presentations on the broad business environment, Michael Swanson, PhD, the chief agricultural economist at Wells Fargo Bank, will offer the “Ag Outlook: 2024 and Beyond.” At Wells Fargo, Swanson is responsible for analyzing the impact of energy on agriculture and strategic analysis for key agricultural commodities and livestock sectors.

He joined the bank in 2000 as a senior economist after spending time at Land O’ Lakes and Cargill. At the latter company, Swanson was with the Cargill Cafetera de Manizales SA subsidiary in Colombia, with responsibility for grain imports and value-added sales to feed producers and flour millers. Before that he was a transportation analyst with Burlington Northern Railway.

Other presenters at the 2024 NAMA annual meeting include Melinda Farris, of the International Association of Operative Millers; Kim Cooper and Molly Miller of NAMA; Rasma Zvaners with the American Bakers Association; and Chandler Goule, of the National Association of Wheat Growers.