Erin Borror
Vice President, Economic Analysis / U.S. Meat Export FederationErin Borror is the Vice President, Economic Analysis for the U.S. Meat Export Federation, overseeing market access and analysis. Erin joined USMEF in July 2006 after receiving her M.S. in Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M, and B.S. in Agribusiness at Cal Poly. She also serves on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Animal Products. And Chairs the International Meat Secretariat’s Economics & Trade Committee.
John Crespi
Director / Center for Agricultural and Rural Development
John Crespi is Director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development and Professor in the Department of Economics at Iowa State University. His areas of expertise include agricultural economics and industrial organization. He is currently Editor of Agricultural Policy Review, Associate Editor of Journal of Agricultural and Food Industrial Organization, on the Editorial Board of Reaching Regions and past Associate Editor of American Journal of Agricultural Economics and Applied Economics Perspectives and Policy. John studied at California State University, Sacramento, Colorado State University, and the University of California, Davis.
Gregg Doud
President and Chief Executive Officer / National Milk Producers FederationGregg Doud is currently President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation and previously served as Chief Agricultural Negotiator at USTR. Gregg was also a key contributor to writing the 2012 Farm Bill in the U.S. Senate. A Kansas native and proud Kansas State alumnus, he now lives with his family on their horse farm in Maryland.
Dr. Sam Gregg
President and Friedrich Hayek Chair in Economics History / American Institute for Economic ResearchSam Gregg is Friedrich Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at the American Institute for Economic Research. He has written and spoken extensively on questions of political economy and economic history, is the author of seventeen books, including The Next American Economy (2022). Two of his books have been short-listed for Conservative Book of the Year, and one of his books was short-listed for the 2023 Hayek Prize.
Chad Hart
Professor of Economics / Iowa State University
Chad Hart was born and raised in southwest Missouri. His parents raised a few cattle and operated a small meat locker. He received a B.S. in economics with minors in mathematics, history, and astronomy from Southwest Missouri State University in 1991. He received a Ph.D. in economics and statistics in 1999 from Iowa State University. Chad became a faculty member at Iowa State in 2008. He is a professor in economics, extension economist, and the crop markets specialist for the university.
Brent Johnson
President / Iowa Farm BureauBrent Johnson of Manson was elected president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) in December 2021.
Johnson’s long-time service to agriculture and Farm Bureau started at the county level, where he held several positions with the Calhoun County Farm Bureau board of directors. He previously served as IFBF’s Young Farmer Committee Chair and was first elected to the state board of directors in 2016.
As president, Brent serves as chairman of the board of FBL Financial Group, Inc., and Farm Bureau Life Companies. He also serves on the American Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors, informs policy makers across the country and enjoys traveling the world to promote Iowa agriculture.
He is the 2020 recipient of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Environmental Leader Award, the 2014 Renew Rural Iowa Award winner, the 2009 Outstanding Young Farmers National Award winner and the 2007 IFBF Young Farmer Achievement Award winner.
Johnson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University (ISU) and has specialized in precision agriculture, previously working as an agronomist and certified crop advisor. In 2006, Johnson founded an independent crop consulting business, utilizing cutting edge technology to advance soil health and data management.
Brent farms with his wife, LuAnn. He grows corn and soybeans on their Calhoun County farm. He and LuAnn have two children and four grandchildren.
Ambassador Bob Lighthizer
Former U.S. Trade RepresentativeRobert E. Lighthizer served as the 18th United States Trade Representative (USTR) from 2017 to 2021.
An experienced trade negotiator and litigator, Ambassador Lighthizer spearheaded several historic trade agreements as USTR, ushering in a new era of fair, balanced, and reciprocal trade for U.S. workers, producers, and businesses. Chief among these accomplishments, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) promises to update and rebalance trade in North America, expand U.S. market access, protect workers and the environment, and incentivize manufacturing in the United States. Additional agreements he reached with South Korea and Japan significantly expanded U.S. trade opportunities in those countries and established a groundbreaking paradigm for digital trade. After confronting China on its abusive trade practices, Ambassador Lighthizer also secured the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement, a fully enforceable agreement that addresses China’s discriminatory treatment of U.S. companies, intellectual property theft, and currency manipulation, while maintaining tariffs on key Chinese products and increasing China’s purchases of U.S. goods and services by at least $200 billion over two years. Additionally, he brought attention to systemic issues and outdated, ineffective rules at the World Trade Organization (WTO), placing unprecedented pressure on the WTO’s activist Appellate Body and working with our trade partners on wider reforms.
At the time he was chosen by President Trump to serve as USTR, Ambassador Lighthizer had been a partner at an international law firm, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom for over 30 years. Before that, Ambassador Lighthizer served as Deputy USTR for President Ronald Reagan and negotiated over two dozen bilateral international agreements, including agreements on steel, automobiles, and agricultural products. As Deputy USTR, he also served as Vice Chairman of the Board of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.
Prior to becoming Deputy USTR, Ambassador Lighthizer was Chief of Staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance under Chairman Bob Dole. In this position, he was a key player in enacting the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 – the most significant tax reform in decades – and other elements of the Reagan economic program. Ambassador Lighthizer earned a bachelor’s degree at Georgetown University and his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
He is a native of Ashtabula, Ohio and has two children. He is the author of “No Trade Is Free”, a bestselling book on trade policy. He writes often for major publications and is a frequent speaker on trade, politics, and American history.
Tyne Morgan
Host / U.S. Farm ReportTyne Morgan is doing what she calls her dream job. She’s a Missouri girl who has generations of agriculture rooted in her blood. Born and raised in Lexington, Mo., FFA was a big part of her high school career. Her father is an agriculture teacher/FFA Advisory and was her biggest supporter/teacher. Through public speaking and various contest teams, she actually plunged into broadcast at the young age of 16. While in high school, she worked at KMZU radio providing the daily farm market updates, as well as local, state and national agriculture news. Today, Tyne is the first female host of U.S. Farm Report and resides in rural Missouri with her husband and two daughters where she has a passion for helping support her local community.
Dr. Christopher Pudenz
Economics and Research Manager / Iowa Farm BureauDr. Christopher Pudenz is the Economics and Research Manager – Economist at the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. In this role, Pudenz oversees Iowa Farm Bureau’s economic research activities, including those related to the farm economy, ag policy, and trade. He grew up on a diversified family farm in Carroll County, Iowa, where his family owns and operates a cattle feedlot. Pudenz obtained his PhD in Economics from Iowa State University, with a livestock economics research focus. He resides in the Des Moines metro with his family.
Susan Stroud
Founder & CEO / No Bull Agriculture
Susan Stroud is the founder of No Bull Agriculture, an independent market intelligence firm delivering clear, data-driven insights for global commodity markets. With more than 15 years of experience across the U.S. grain supply chain—from country elevators to river terminals—she brings a practical, ground-level understanding of the industry. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Susan is widely recognized for her analysis of grain markets and renewable fuels, with commentary frequently featured by outlets such as Bloomberg and Barchart. She also hosts AgriNext, No Bull’s annual conference, and leads international industry trips through AgVentures.