The AEM Board of Directors met for a final time in 2022 in Napa, California during the AEM Annual Conference on Friday, Nov.18 at the Meritage Resort.
AEM Chair Bob Crain with AGCO Corporation called the meeting to order, reviewed highlights from the consent agenda and provided his Chair’s Report to the Board members in attendance and reinforced the work being done in support of AEM’s strategic priorities. He thanked outgoing AEM Board members Brad Olson with Two Rivers Marketing and Ray O’Connor with Topcon Positioning Solutions for their volunteer service to AEM.
In addition, he thanked Nominating Committee Chair Jeff Reed of VSS Macropaver/Reed International for his leadership to develop the 2023 leadership slate, including the AEM Board of Directors and the Ag and CE Sector Board directors. New AEM Board directors for 2023 are Kris Flitcroft, AC Business Media and Melvin Porter, Link-Belt Cranes.
AEM President Megan Tanel also shared highlights of her President’s Report to the Board, calling attention to the work the AEM staff is doing to build a stronger culture, the introduction of the Future of Food Production and Future of Building whitepapers, and the efforts in Washington D.C. that have led to better awareness of our industries, priorities, and the value AEM brings to the federal advocacy arena, among other important industry-related topics.
Treasurer’s Report
AEM Treasurer Linda Hasenfratz with Linamar Corporation and AEM Chief Financial Officer Kathy Barke provided the Board with a year-end budget forecast for 2022 and some long-range financial projections for the association. They also presented the recommended 2023 budget, which was approved by the Board.
Ag and CE Sector Overview & Priorities
Ag Sector Board Chair Todd Stucke with Kubota and AEM Senior Vice President Curt Blades provided a recap of the Ag Sector Board meeting, highlighting the Ag Sector Board priorities for 2023 and reviewing the strategies to maintain and grow AEM’s global ag leadership position.
In addition, CE Sector Board Chair Stephen Roy with Volvo Construction and AEM’s Vice President of Construction andUtility John Somers shared a recap of the CE Sector Board meeting and an overview of the CE Sector Board priorities and the work being done in support of the Celebration of Construction on the National Mall scheduled for May 14-16, 2023.
Advocacy
Turning to advocacy and the work being done by the AEM DC office, 2023 Government and Public Affairs (GPAC) Committee Chair Pat Weiler of Weiler and AEM Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Kip Eideberg discussed the GPAC recommendation and actions for 2023, provided a recap of the 2022 AEMPAC statistics and amount raised to date, and shared a perspective on the recent U.S. election and the political and legislative landscape.
Exhibitions/Trade Shows
The report from the exhibition team was led by CONEXPO-CON/AGG Show Chair Phil Kelliher with Caterpillar, AEM Senior Vice President of Exhibitions and Marketing Nicole Hallada and Vice President of Exhibitions and Event Services President Dana Wuesthoff.
Wuesthoff shared an overview of the registration highlights for CONEXPO-CON/AGG, noting the positive trending results based on new discount promotion structure and education ticket bundles, as well as strong exhibition sales.
2023 AEM Goals and Strategic Plan Development
Tanel introduced the AEM 2023 goals and strategic priorities to the Board and shared the work being done to support the industry, the AEM budget and the association. This overview included a look at the timeline to develop the 2024-2026 strategic plan, which will be a priority for next year.
The next meetings of the AEM Board of Directors and Ag and CE Sector Boards are scheduled for Feb. 22-23, 2023, in Washington D.C. For more information, contact AEM’s Megan Tanel at mtanel@aem.org.
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