Public Policy Hot Topics

What are the top issues impacting rural America? Hear from AFBF’s Government Affairs Team in a roundtable of issue updates regarding Farm Bureau priorities. Get an update on actions in the first year of the 119^th Congress and Trump 47 Administration and a preview of upcoming potential regulatory and congressional activities in 2026.

Speakers:

• Ryan Yates Managing Director of Government Affairs AFBF
• Courtney Briggs Senior Director, Government Affairs AFBF
• Shelby Hagenauer Senior Director, Government Affairs AFBF
• Dave Salmonsen Senior Director, Government Affairs AFBF
• John Walt Boatright Director, Government Affairs AFBF
• Emily Buckman Director, Government Affairs AFBF
• Brian Glenn, Director, Government Affairs AFBF
• RJ Layher, Director, Government Affairs AFBF

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Get to Know the Speakers:

Ryan Yates is the Managing Director for Government Affairs at the American Farm Bureau Federation. In this role, Yates manages the AFBF Government Affairs department in the preparation and execution of strategies to implement Farm Bureau legislative and regulatory policy priorities.

Yates previously served as Director of Congressional Relations at AFBF where he advocated on behalf of American farmers and ranchers on policy issues including federal lands management, the Endangered Species Act, and protection of private property rights. He has 19 years of experience in agriculture and natural resource issues in Washington, D.C. having served on the staff of the U.S House of Representatives Committee on Resources, as well as lobbying for the National Association of Counties and National Association of Conservation Districts. Yates is a 2003 graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, obtaining a degree in Agricultural Business with a minor in Economics.

John Walt Boatright joined AFBF as Director of Government Affairs in November 2022. In this role, John Walt’s portfolio includes farm labor, pesticides, food safety, and specialty crops. This includes legislative initiatives in Congress, as well as engagement with the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

In addition to working closely with state Farm Bureaus and policymakers to accomplish AFBF policy, John Walt also represents the organization in its collaborative industry work, including the Agriculture Workforce Coalition, the Pesticide Policy Coalition, the Minor Crop Farmer Alliance, the Agricultural Safety & Health Council of America, and the Commodity Liaison Committee of the IR-4 Project.

Prior to joining American Farm Bureau, he led national affairs for Florida Farm Bureau for over 5 years. A native Floridian, John Walt graduated with a bachelor’s degree in food and resource Economics from the University of Florida in 2013.

Courtney Briggs serves as the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Senior Director of Government Affairs. Her issue portfolio encompasses Clean Water Act and conservation issues. Courtney’s work focuses on specific issues such as Waters of the United States, nutrient reduction strategies and NRCS conservation compliance.

Courtney came to the American Farm Bureau Federation in November 2021. Prior to joining AFBF she served as Senior Federal Legislative Director of Government Affairs at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). For over a decade, Courtney directed the federal lobbying on environment, transportation, and land use policies. Courtney currently serves as Chair of the Waters Advocacy Coalition, a multi-industry coalition that focuses on Clean Water Act issues. Prior to joining NAHB, she spent 5 years on Capitol Hill working for Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

Courtney grew up outside of Winston-Salem, North Carolina and graduated from Villanova University with a degree in political science. She lives on Capitol Hill with her husband and two young children.

Emily Buckman joined American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) as Director of Government Affairs in 2021. Her portfolio includes appropriations, broadband, rural affairs, and technology.

Emily joined AFBF after serving two years as the Director of National Affairs for the Kentucky Farm Bureau. She previously worked on Capitol Hill for nearly a decade for Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) as a Senior Policy Advisor and served as a policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Rural Development and the Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services mission areas. While in these roles, she worked to advance policy and legislation on issues including agriculture, education, infrastructure, and workforce development.

Emily was raised on her family’s fourth generation farm in central Kentucky where her father and brother continue to grow corn, soybeans, and tobacco, as well as raise beef cattle and hogs.

Emily holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Campbellsville University and lives in Washington, D.C.

Shelby Hagenauer serves as Senior Director of Government Affairs at the American Farm Bureau Federation. In this role, she advocates on behalf of American farmers and ranchers on policy issues including federal lands management, the Endangered Species Act, western water, and protection of private property rights.

Shelby has more than 20 years of experience in natural resource and agriculture issues in Washington, D.C. She served on the staff of Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA), where her role included advising Leader McCarthy through a farm bill during his time serving on the House Agriculture Committee. In the private sector, Shelby worked at a California-based law firm, advising clients on a range of policy issues and political engagement. Most recently she served as Deputy Commissioner at the Bureau of Reclamation in the Department of the Interior, where she helped lead the nation’s largest wholesale water provider, as well as directly managed congressional and public affairs and ensured robust stakeholder engagement.

Shelby graduated from the College of William and Mary in Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in history, and resides in Arlington, Virginia.

R.J. grew up on his family's fifth generation farm in Southeast Michigan. He graduated from Hillsdale College, where he also played football, in 2010 with a degree in Political Economy. Prior to joining the Farm Bureau team in April 2022, R.J. has worked in the office of Timothy V. Johnson (R-IL-Ret.) during the 2012 Farm Bill, was Director of Health & Regulatory Affairs for the American Horse Council, a Legislative Assistant for Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) during the 2018 Farm Bill, served in the Trump Administration at USDA as a Policy Advisor to Martin Barbre, Administrator of the Risk Management Agency, and most recently a Legislative Assistant for Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL).

He will be graduating from Kansas State University with a Masters of Agribusiness in the fall.

In his free time, R.J. enjoys playing golf, traveling, and watching college football and basketball. R.J. and his wife, Rachel, reside in Washington, D.C.