SUN VALLEY, IDAHO, US — With the 2024 election impending, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the political landscape, with control of the White House and Congress hanging in the balance, Jane DeMarchi, president of the North American Millers’ Association (NAMA), told a gathering of millers on Sept. 13.

“We don’t know what is going to happen in the election,” she said. “I am here to reassure you that our values and our purpose will not change no matter who is elected to the White House. We may change some of our timelines, some of our tactics, but our goal to provide solutions-focused service and also prepare the industry for a sustainable future, that is not going to change.”

DeMarchi spoke about the Washington landscape in a presentation focused on NAMA priorities and progress, delivered at the group’s annual meeting at the Sun Valley Resort. She credited NAMA members for the creation of a new strategic plan, helping the group’s wheat, corn and oats divisions hone their priorities.

“We do know food safety is the No. 1 priority across all the divisions,” she said. “That could be things like mycotoxins for corn or food safety in flour. How do we work through those issues with our staff and in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration, with the corn growers, with the bakers? We aren’t doing anything isolated on our own. We are working, collaborating, with other organizations together.”

Regarding collaboration, in another pillar of NAMA’s strategic plan, DeMarchi highlighted key partnerships, including several in attendance at the annual meeting: Chandler Goule, chief executive officer of the National Association of Wheat Growers; Jamie Kress, treasurer of NAWG; Rasma Zvaners, vice president of regulatory affairs for the American Bakers Association; and Erin Ball, executive director of the Grain Foods Foundation.

The GFF partnership was instrumental in promoting NAMA’s recently conducted research on the value of adding corn meal/bran to the diet.

“We do not have within NAMA the knowledge or contacts to promote that corn research that our members invested in, to get it out into the world,” DeMarchi said. “The GFF does. It’s been a great value.”

NAMA’s collaboration orbit extends wider. DeMarchi this year is serving as chair of the Food and Beverage Issue Alliance, a coalition of 40 food-related trade associations in Washington.

“It’s been such an important vehicle for NAMA to be able to join forces with other like-minded groups to really elevate our voice with the FDA,” she said. “I’ve been pleased to be the chair for this year, which has given me personally and NAMA the opportunity to elevate our relationship with FDA. Now they know us in a way they didn’t before.”

In the wake of illness outbreaks in recent years associated with flour, interactions with the FDA have been on the upswing, DeMarchi said.

“The FDA is in communications with NAMA about how we respond to the recalls and outbreaks associated with flour,” she said. “A lot of that is related to consumer communications and education. They also are asking whether something more can be done to prevent future outbreaks. It is a topic of conversation.”

NAMA activities each year include a “DC Experience,” in which the association offers a group of milling industry interns and professionals at the start of their careers “an opportunity to see how policy is made in Washington,” DeMarchi said. The objective of the program is to build and nurture the milling talent pipeline.

“It is an eye-opening experience for all the folks who come on this trip,” she said.

Segueing to another topic, DeMarchi said only one student from Kansas State University was part of this year’s group.

“In my memory, that was the first time we had so few from Kansas State,” she said. “I think it’s no secret that KSU is struggling to enroll enough students to fill the needs of the industry through that program (milling science and management at the KSU Department of Grain Science and Industry). We’re hopeful. They’ve hired a new recruiter. We’re hopeful with their new department head and with their new innovation and science center that they will be able to attract more students.”

Even as the group supports and looks to work with Kansas State as the milling program is revitalized, DeMarchi said NAMA is rolling out a talent task force to build and expand its relationships with other universities, including schools with a diversified geographic mix, with locations nearer to flour mills that are not situated in the center of the United States.

“Developing the talent pipeline at all stages of the industry is one of the goals of our strategic plan,” she said. “We have refined that to focus on expanding our relationships with universities in any of the geographies where we have a mill.”

The objective, she said, will be to make students and universities more aware of milling as a career. She said the International Association of Operative Millers will partner with NAMA on the effort.

“I invite the milling and associate members to join this task force to set up an army to reach out to other universities,” she said. “We will continue to invest in our relationship with Kansas State. We have scholarships that continue to be offered, and we are increasing the level of scholarships. It is a terrific opportunity for kids choosing that program. We just don’t have enough of them who are choosing to do that.”

Steps toward enhancing member engagement, another NAMA pillar, include traction the group has gained with its regular newsletter communications and monthly calls, DeMarchi said.