Crop Insurance Today June 2018 - 30

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It will also be important as the Agency transitions to the new Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Business Center, which will have responsibility for information technology, an area
that is vital to USDA's overall mission and particularly critical for our industry. As this transition occurs, an open line of communication and
cooperation will be essential for crop insurance
to ensure that USDA, through the Risk Management Agency and the private sector delivery system, is always up and running and able to meet
the needs of our clients.

Not long after Mr. Northey was sworn into
office, Secretary Perdue appointed Martin Barbre as the new Risk Management Agency (RMA)
Administrator. I had the privilege of meeting Administrator Barbre in Washington, D.C., shortly
after he was appointed. In addition to that meeting, Mr. Barbre and other senior RMA staff recently visited the NCIS office to learn more about
our organization and the industry. At this meeting, senior staff, along with NCIS Standing Committee liaisons, were able to explain the role of
NCIS and the services it provides to our member
companies.

"And They're Off!"
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JUNE2018

Much like Northey, Mr. Barbre has an extensive background in agriculture, having farmed in
Illinois for more than 30 years. He understands
the importance of crop insurance and has seen
first-hand why it needs to remain a part of a
farmer's risk management portfolio. He is the
past president of the National Corn Growers Association Corn Board and a member of the Illinois Corn Growers Association, where he served
in various leadership roles at the local, state, and
national levels.
Rounding out the "trifecta" was the appointment of Jim Korin, NAU Country Insurance, as
Chairman of the NCIS Board of Directors. Korin assumed the role as Mike Day's tenure came
to end.
We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge Mr. Day's leadership and tremendous commitment to NCIS during his time as Chairman.
Over the past two years, Mike helped shepherd
the association and industry through two critical
years following the implementation of the 2014
Farm Bill and helped oversee several important corporate governance issues that benefited
not only the membership but the staff at NCIS
as well. There is a bit more on Mike's tenure in
our "Passing the Gavel" article found later in
this issue.
Just because his leg of the race is complete for
the time being, this does not mean we are putting
Mike out to pasture. He will continue to serve on
the NCIS Board and will also serve as Ex Officio
for one year to ensure a smooth transition.
Mr. Korin will have big shoes to fill, but
knowing Jim, he is more than ready for the task
before him and us. Jim comes with a great deal of
leadership experience and exposure to NCIS. He
began attending NCIS Board meetings back in
2010 and has served on the Executive Committee
since February 2013.
Jim will no doubt provide invaluable leadership over the next two years as Congress completes a Farm Bill and the USDA rolls out implementation language. Jim was active during the
previous Farm Bill implementation process, and
his senior staff was also engaged during implementation as several of these individuals served
on NCIS Standing Committees. Please make
sure to check out our "Passing the Gavel" article
highlighting Jim's transition to Chair of the NCIS
Board of Directors. The staff at NCIS is looking
forward to working with him in this new role.
Based on individual conversations with each
of these gentlemen, I walk away with the distinct

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crop Insurance Today June 2018