Logan Walsh – U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council – Washington, D.C.

July Update

The 65th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting was held last week in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This was a historic meeting due to the nature of the anniversary and the vote on a bylaw to change the organization’s name from the U.S. Grains Council to the U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council.

A lot of work led to the successful vote on Friday, which started with many delays and even a flight cancellation before I arrived on Monday to prepare for the week. As soon as I arrived at the hotel conference center on Monday, the work began to ensure the meeting would run smoothly and our members would have a great time.

Besides the vote on the bylaw proposal to change the name, this year’s annual meeting was unique because 19 past Chairs and two past CEOs were in attendance. The years of service went as far back as 1976 to the most recent past Chair, who created a unique environment of wisdom. I was able to meet with Nebraska’s own Alan Tiemann, who served as Chair in 2016.

One of my most significant projects this summer was the development of our “Legacy Lounge,” where the past chairs would interact with members to discuss their experience with the Council. I scanned hundreds of photos dating back to 1960, which were displayed in a slideshow, and found historical documents to display for members to view.

Attending the conference was an incredibly rewarding experience to see the culmination of my work this summer executed. The Industry Relations Team capped the week off with a celebratory dinner.

June Update

I will always be grateful for the opportunity to intern in Washington, D.C.. I started my internship on the Industry Relations Team (IRT) with the U.S. Grains Council on June 2nd, and every day has been a fun and new experience for me.

After the initial onboarding meetings or “parties” as my boss, Ellen S. Zimmerman, likes to call them, and figuring out the bus system to get to work, I began to work on a wide range of projects.

The primary focus of my internship is to assist with the preparation and execution of our 65th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan, next month. Some of the projects I worked on over the past month included compiling the headshots and biographies for our speakers, coordinating schedules for our past chairs, and assigning the USGC staff assignments during the week-long meeting.

Outside of preparing for Grand Rapids, I have assisted in drafting funding proposals for our members, drafted memos for trade teams, and helped coordinate the logistics for a trade policy academy in Wisconsin later this summer.

I am fortunate to intern for a very welcoming and well-connected organization. I have been connected with many people in D.C’s agriculture policy industry. I have also explored with some other interns from Nebraska and have attended many National Baseball games. I am excited for the rest of the summer!