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Meeting Location
INFO
1400 E. Interchange Ave.Bismarck, ND 58501
Call Us: 1-800-554-7077
1-701-258-7000
Dr. Ethan Andress, ND State Veterinarian
Dr. Andress graduated from South Dakota State University in Brookings in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University in 1997. Following graduation, he was the associate veterinarian at an animal health center in Redfield, SD. Since 2000, he has been an owner and partner of West River Veterinary Clinic in Hettinger, ND and has served his community as a mixed animal practitioner for 24 years.
Dr. Andress is a past president and a current member of the South Dakota Veterinary Medical Association, a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, a member of the North Dakota Veterinary Medical Association, a member of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and has served in various other veterinary and community organizations and associations
Zach Ducheneaux
Zach Ducheneaux ,Administrator
Farm Service Agency, Is unable to attend.
Marcia Bunger
Administrator for the Risk Management Agency
On November 15, 2021, Marcia Bunger was named Administrator for the Risk Management Agency. She joins USDA after serving as a County Executive Director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) for 18 years. In total, she has over 25 years of experience working for USDA in the Farm Service Agency.
In her role as County Executive Director, Bunger worked closely with Pine Ridge Tribal Government leaders and personnel to administer FSA programs on the second largest land based Indian Reservation in the U.S. She served 15 years on the South Dakota Advisory Council to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and previously held positions at Farm Credit Services of America, including Crop Insurance Specialist and Crop Insurance Officer.
Recently, Bunger founded an agriculture consulting limited liability company providing assistance to area farmers and ranchers and to work with a local crop insurance agency selling and servicing crop insurance policies. Bunger is also the owner and operator of a 2000-acre, family owned farm. Bunger graduated cum laude and received her bachelor’s degree from Augustana College. She is the first member of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and the first woman to serve as RMA Administrator.
Marcy Svenningsen
State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency
Marcy Svenningsen was appointed by the Biden Administration to serve as the State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in North Dakota in February 2022.
Svenningsen grew up on a family farm and has spent most of her adult life advocating for family farm agriculture. Svenningsen and her husband Greg live west of Valley City on their farm and ranch where they grow wheat, corn, soybeans, and feed for their commercial angus cattle herd. Svenningsen plays an active role in the daily operations of the family farm.
Svenningsen was previously appointed as Chairman of the North Dakota FSA State Committee for eight years under the Obama Administration. She served as a District Director on the North Dakota Farmers Union State Board for 12 years. Most recently, Svenningsen served as the Chair of the Cass County Electric Cooperative Board of Directors and as a Director on the Minnkota Power Cooperative Board.
Svenningsen has also worked off -the-farm for over 35 years as a Finance Director for Open Door Center in Valley City, a non-profi t corporation that provides services to individuals with disabilities. She is the Secretary/Treasurer for Zion Free Lutheran Church and is actively involved in the church and her community.
She earned an Associate of Arts in accounting from Valley City State University.
Svenningsen and Greg have two married children and fi ve grandchildren. Svenningsen enjoys spending time skiing and bowling with her grandchildren. She also enjoys quilting, playing guitar, bird watching, and traveling with her husband.
Bill Bullard, R-CALF CEO
Brett Kenzy, President and Region III Director
Brett and his family operate Kenzy Backgrounding, a 3000-head feedlot, and maintain a commercial cow herd in south central South Dakota. Along with his wife and three children, they have been strong supporters of R-CALF USA since the beginning.
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Bill Bullard is the Chief Executive Officer of the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) and has held this position since 2001. R-CALF USA is the largest national cattle-producer organization in the U.S. that exclusively represents the live cattle segment of the United States’ multi-segmented beef supply chain. R-CALF USA’s voluntary membership consists of more than 5,000 U.S. cow/calf producers, backgrounders, stockers and feeders who are located in 42 states. R-CALF USA represents its members on issues concerning international trade and marketing and its purposes include representing its members’ interests before Congress, agencies of the federal government, and in court.
Bullard has testified on behalf of R-CALF USA members before Congress and executive branch agencies, has managed numerous lawsuits on behalf of the organization, and is the organization’s registered lobbyist.
Rhonda Amundson
School Nutrition Program Manager
North Dakota Dept of Public Instruction
Rhonda ensures that school nutrition professionals are well-versed in the program requirements to participate in federal meal programs. This requires training, technical assistance, and monitoring of the breakfast, lunch, and after-school snack programs. The largest part of her job is monitoring but the most impactful is training.
One way to help the food service director is to provide recipes for their kitchen that meet the requirements for the federal meal pattern. Rhonda manages a state-wide resource that has shared recipes with crediting information to use as the food service director plans the menu. They are grateful for the cookbook the ranchers put together for the Beef cooking class. Some recipes are already loaded into this software; the rest should be available to schools using the program by the end of the year.
Another resource she is proud to work with is the National School Lunch equipment grant. Since 2009, USDA has made funds available for schools to update their kitchen equipment. The grant allows them to provide healthier meals more efficiently with a focus on food safety and increased participation. This year, she will shepherd the process of awarding $166,000 to North Dakota’s school food service to upgrade and add equipment aligned with their goals. Rhonda expects to see some flat-top grills and burger presses requested this year.
Food safety is of great concern when we think about feeding the 116,694 students in the state in congregate settings. She monitors federal program requirements that all school kitchens are inspected by the local health unit at least twice a year and that all food service directors and kitchen managers are certified in food safety for their school.
Thank you for this opportunity to highlight the school nutrition programs in North Dakota!
Seeking Nominations
COVID-19 Information:
Social distancing is encouraged. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available for attendees to use.
The Independent Beef Association of North Dakota (I-BAND) is taking precautionary measures, including those recommended by governmental authorities, to protect the health and safety of annual meeting attendees and to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. However, I-BAND cannot assure that you will not contract the virus as a result of your attendance. Attendees will be deemed to have understood, accepted and assumed all physical, physiological and psychological risks associated with attending. I-BAND, as well as the meeting location, shall not be held liable for harm to any attendee due to any of the foregoing, including contracting the COVID-19 virus. In light of the pandemic and to protect the health and safety of all attendees, I-BAND asks that anyone who exhibits these types of symptoms on the days of the event not attend. A virtual option is available.
