aem’s ag sector board of directors met in-person last week in aventura, florida where they discussed several important industry issues. the agenda also featured updates from aem staff regarding the association’s service areas and ongoing initiatives, including advocacy, regulatory, and aem’s newly re-stablished futures council.
ag sector board chair greg petras, president and coo of kuhn, called the meeting to order and welcomed directors to the third and final meeting of 2025.
advocacy
yannick montagano, kubota canada, shared an update of aem’s expanded footprint in canada, including new full-time staff and member events.
aem vice president of federal affairs kate fox wood and aem senior vice president of government and public affairs kip eideberg then provided directors with a federal advocacy update that included a discussion on tariffs, right to repair legislation, and engagement with usda on the ag economy.
make america healthy again/application demo day
directors then heard a recap on aem’s application demo day that was held this past june from bill hurley, agco. this was then followed by an overview and discussion on the subsequent engagement with the make america healthy again (maha) movement, including a refresh of the environmental benefits of precision agriculture study.
futures council
aem senior director of agriculture, austin gellings then provided a report on the next steps for the newly re-established aem futures council. the group has determined the top five disruptors that may impact the equipment industry and will assign each topic to a different work group. vision teams will be established in the next few weeks, and all directors are encouraged to nominate subject matter experts from their companies to participate.
commodity classic
aem senior vice president of industry sectors and product leadership curt blades, then shared an update on the current status of the 2026 commodity classic show in san antonio, texas, including schedule changes, new features with content and the show floor, and a look at future years. this then led to a discussion on future opportunities to grow the show.
the meeting then concluded with an open forum to discuss the upcoming a year ahead as it relates to the ag sector board priorities of:
- maintain and grow aem’s global ag leadership position
- help set the course for ag industry, lead by example, and strengthen our industry’s message
- advocate for the ag equipment industry with policymakers and regulators
- build relationships, educate, lobby, and bring focus to policies relevant to agriculture and aem members
- strengthen and grow aem’s ag member business
- help to grow aem ag members’ businesses
- promote the ag industry’s role in sustainability
- promote modern production agriculture and benefits of technology to stakeholders
- address technology issues
- focus on machine cybersecurity and interoperability
directors then took a moment to thank the outgoing directors, while welcoming those incoming.
the next meetings of the aem board of directors, ce sector board, and ag sector board are scheduled for feb. 5, 2026, for a virtual year in review. for more information about the ag sector board, contact aem’s curt blades at cblades@aem.org.
