Deanna Fox NYFB CEO Candidate Presentation

DEANNA FOX

DEANNA FOX CANDIDATE FOR NEW YORK FARM BUREAU CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

NYFB

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

THANK YOU

4

ABOUT DEANNA

5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

6

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

8

FIRST 100 DAYS

10

APPROACH TO LEADERSHIP

11

CORPORATE CULTURE

12

CHALLENGES

13

REVENUE

14

POLICY

15

MEMBERSHIP

16

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

DEANNA FOX - NYFB

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THANK YOU Working for New York State’s farmers, producers and friends of agriculture has always been my goal, and the CEO position for New York Farm Bureau is my dream job. I am enormously grateful for your time and the opportunity to present my thoughts and state my case for why I feel I am the right candidate for this job. Thank you for this chance.

-Fox. DEANNA FOX - NYFB

LET'S DO IT!

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THIS IS THE VIEW FROM MY FAMILY’S DAIRY BARN. At my root, I’m a Central New York farm kid. 4H. County fairs.

7 a.m. milkings.

I know what the life of a New York State farmer is like because I’ve lived it. While the family farm is mostly gone now, I’ve chosen to embrace my history and make a home on one of the last dairy farms in Schenectady County.

When I went to college, I never anticipated I’d return to a life that mimics my upbringing, but agriculture has been the overarching theme in my 17+ years of professional experience.

I’ve built a career in leadership, public affairs, public relations, media relations, marketing, operations, development and management that has intertwined with my life in farming... and I think that makes me a prime candidate for becoming the next CEO of New York Farm Bureau.

The hard work mindset of being a farm kid (and all the tenacity, creativity, resilience, independence and collaboration it brings) has stayed with me, helping me reach great achievement in my professional life. I would be honored to offer those skills and traits to this organization.

Outside of work, I spend a lot of time trying to maximize yields on my apple orchard, enjoy creative and culinary pursuits, skiing, cycling and being the mom to my two wonderful children.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I have over 17 years of direct experience managing membership-driven organizations, leading from the C-Suites, developing strategies for growth and expansion (and implementing that strategy) and making important external affairs headway through the media, public affairs and relations and government relations.

I’ve built a notable reputation in the farming community for being a microphone for the stories, concerns, successes and threats in New York State farming. This has led to a deep trust with farmers and producers. They know I “get it” and that I relate to their experiences.

I have been the founder and partner in multiple organizations and driven revenue from the goto-market point to seven figures within just a few years. My experience is varied, meaning I’ve gathered direct insight into various business practices to learn what works, what doesn’t and what lies ahead.

My career has lead me to work with diverse groups to find commonalities, whether that is externally or within an internal structure. I’m driven, authoritative and direct but I know how to relate to people on an individual level and make them feel validated and appreciated.

A CEO must have a deep roster of skills to be effective in the role, and I believe my CV shows I’m exceptionally qualified in that way.

DEANNA FOX - NYFB

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NATIONAL LEADER PROMOTION REVENUE

LOOK BACK TO LOOK FORWARD Agriculture is experiencing rapid change, but it’s not the first time farmers have faced it. As CEO, I would take a historiographic approach to learn from fluctuations in the past and merge those lessons with modern advantages.

This would lead to a future for NYFB that allows the diversified farming industry of New York State to become a national leader in 21st century agriculture.

The change in “how” we farm while maintaining our farming legacy would be the crux of strategy, with success and adaptability as the goal.

To achieve this, I envision a common sense fivepoint plan that includes:

1) Focus on membership attrition, retention and

RELATIONSHIPS

growth, with expanded benefits, services and learning opportunities for our members

2) Stringent and progressive legislative policy that addresses urgent issues

3) An aggressive public relations and affairs

LEGISLATION

campaign that brings new attention to the NYFB brand; strong relationship building

4) Promotion of new farming opportunities and emerging markets

MEMBERSHIP

DEANNA FOX - NYFB

5) Detailed attention to revenue growth and profitability that does not rely on restructuring or staff/service cuts.

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The first 100 days are critical to any new role, but especially that of organizational leadership. The first 100 days establishes tone, builds relationships, assesses successes, pain points and areas of opportunity and develops an outlook for future projections.

Should I be fortunate enough to be offered this position, I would work to onboard and gather knowledge as quickly as possible, so that I would have several resources available to me on Day 1.

I would break my first 90-100 days into three blocks (30 days, 60 days, 90 days) to establish standards, expectations and practices and ensure a clean start on the November 1 fiscal year launch. With the themes of assess, strategize and implement in these three blocks, I feel confident I could usher in new leadership and systems without causing further strain on people’s natural hesitancy towards change.

The primary objective in these first 100 days would be to listen to all stakeholders under the NYFB umbrella (staff, district representatives, board members, NYFB members, legislative and government partners, community partners, corporate partners and other liaisons) and strengthen relationships.

Relationships are the crux of the organization, and my role is to foster those connections to spur new growth and opportunity.

THE FIRST 100 DAYS 30

DAYS ASSESS

-Listening Tour -Knowledge Transfer -Examine Morale -Audit All Systems -Identify Pain Points -Establish Trust -Senior Team Workshop

The first 30 days will kick off with an in-person and virtual “listening tour” to hear our stakeholders’ thoughts on organizational improvement and successes and learn as much possible. A thorough examination (“audit”) of culture, morale, systems, software and financials will bring pain points to light and offer insight on where we can strengthen and grow NYFB. Workshops with senior leadership will help to guide strategy.

60 DAYS STRATEGIZE -Phase 1 Strategy -Continued Assessments -Talent Considerations -Corporate Culture Review -Relationship Building -Outline Sales Funnels -Public Introduction

The information gathered during the first 30 days will lead to Phase 1 strategy development, focused primarily on short-term gains that will lay the foundation of longer term strategy and goal setting.

Talent considerations, relationship building, mapping out new sales funnels and exploring new systems/software will be part of Phase 1 strategy. The listening tour will continue as needed and plans will be made for public engagements.

90 DAYS IMPLEMENT -Act on Phase 1 Strategy -Begin Rollout of New Systems, Standards and Software -Establish Metrics and KPIs -Begin Mapping Long-Term Strategy -Budget Outlook -Nov. 1 Goalpost

DEANNA FOX - NYFB

We will begin implementing new ideas and fresh approaches during the third block of the first 100 days. New metrics and KPIs will be established, allowing time to test for success before November 1 fiscal year reset. New corporate standards and practices will be introduced while everyone is onboarded for new internal communications and project management tools. This Phase 1 strategy will be a solid beginning to longer term gains and changes.

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APPROACH TO LEADERSHIP I believe that being an effective leader starts with being an empathetic listener.

A good leader must be secure in who they are and their abilities to guide others and drive progress, which eliminates ego struggles and creates an environment of peerage, teamwork and respect.

Clear, open communication is part and parcel to my leadership approach: dialogue must flow both ways, but a CEO must be proactive in bringing up issues and owning faults. Likewise, swift conflict resolution is critical to avoid lingering difficulties.

Normal reaction to change is to be expected when a new leader steps in, but my goal would be to mitigate issues as best possible by showing I’m here to serve alongside staff and this is a collaborative effort.

DEANNA FOX - NYFB

KEY CONCEPTS Be present and visible Internally and externally

Brevity and take-aways in meetings Meetings should come with time limits and have actionable items

Open to new ideas A great idea can come from anyone

Empower staff, encourage skill development Everyone should feel an ownership stake

Communication is key Clear, concise, consistent

Deference to other’s expertise A CEO shouldn’t be the expert on all topics, but can effectively communicate clear points developed by team

Swift conflict resolution High standards with realistic expectation Proactive and confident Not afraid to initiate and give direction

Agile, adaptable Always be ready for change

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CORPORATE CULTURE EMPLOYEE CENTRIC Increase benefits and opportunities where fiscally appropriate; high emphasis on self care and work/life balance; in-office and WFH perks to boost morale and make staff feel “cared for,” extend those perks as best possible to district offices; allow employees to decide mode of work that is best for them

ALL HANDS One day weekly for all-hands in office meeting; regular in-person meetings to establish and grow rapport; crossfunctionality to increase internal relations and allow greater collaboration; visibility internally and externally from CEO

MISSION BUY-IN Excite stakeholders for mission buy-in to increase dedication to service; celebrate milestones; incentivization; ownership of strategy and success; develop high quality ideas and strategy; find collective inspiration

TEAM BUILDING Events and opportunities that are focused on collaborative work, skill development, pertinent issues, knowledge expansion and FUN; lead by example; limit gatekeeping; regular encouragement; clear and effective communication to develop roadmap

DEANNA FOX - NYFB

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CHALLENGES NYFB’s challenges fall into two distinct categories: the issues or the organization, and the issues of the membership and industry.

Each challenge presents an opportunity for growth.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGES Revenue decline; insurance divestments Membership attrition Operation costs Talent pool Public engagement and brand awareness Internal communications

INDUSTRY CHALLENGES Labor force Sustainability Climate change Technology Federal and state legislation Supply chain Energy supply and consumption Automation Changes to farming structure Biases and discriminatory actions on minority groups/farmers Emerging farmer training and education Public awareness Loss of farmland Loss of farms and farmers Loss of diversified farms

DEANNA FOX - NYFB

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REVENUE 46% of NYFB’s revenue comes from one source: the group manager’s fee for work ers compensation. This insurance cost has decreased, leading to a revenue slump and need to support other income streams and opportunities.

INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL PRODUCTS Seek additional insurance offerings Explore options for financial products (like mutual funds with similar group manager fees) Capitalize on historic divestment and reinsurance rates; create new insurance distribution channels

EXPAND EXISTING ENTITIES Find new income streams from Grassroots publication Create an “internet of things” related to Grassroots

NEW MEMBER BENEFITS Build on and expand current reciprocities and alliance memberships Create new membership categories Strengthen member services and resources (education and training; conferences; early farmer resources; business planning tools; registration and certification tools)

CAPITALIZE ON TRENDS Marginalized farming groups; agritourism; craft beverage; horse racing; female-led farming; CEA; aquaculture; green technology and alternative energy

DEANNA FOX - NYFB

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Agriculture is, was, and likely always will be the backbone of American industry. The success of American agriculture is dependent on the willingness of governing bodies to create and institute policies that are encouraging of agriculture and protect the needs of small farmers.

NYFB is New York’s strongest leading advocate for our farmers. Few states are as diverse in its farm make-up as New York, which creates specific challenges for inclusive policy. Farming in New York is not the corporatized monoculture or factory farming present in other parts of the country and most New York farms cannot accommodate strict regulations attached to farming and environmental legislation. It is the job of NYFB to promote New York agriculture and work towards effective and thoughtful policy in federal, state and local governance.

Broad key issues to keep mindful of for agricultural policy include (but are not limited to): labor reforms; redlining; water regulation; climate sustainability; environmental protections; crop and disaster insurance; supply chain structures; taxation; import/export policy; hunger policy and food security; food safety; technology and automation (AI); farmland attrition; immigration; pricing supports.

Working with American Farm Bureau Federation, neighboring farm bureaus, agriculture and production associations, food security groups, equity interests, alternative energy policies and other like-minded organizations and interests groups will help bring attention to and push agendas for critical policy proposals.

MEMBERSHIP Members are the heart of NYFB and everything we do must be done with the obligation to our members and the greater New York farming community in mind.

KEY CONCEPTS Understand member “why” Why become a member?

Understand attrition and retention Why do they leave, why do they stay?

While membership will remain strong as long as the NYFB brand and reputation remain strong, there is always room to grow and improve. Agriculture is experiencing increasing dichotomies in size and structure, with large farms and micro-farms increasing their shares of farming make-up in New York. Farmers are aging out at a rapid pace (on par or exceeding other industry and workforce trends) and special attention must be paid to the needs and desires of emerging farmers and farm education.

Find them when they are

Besides expanding services and benefits, new sales funnel tactics can be employed to acquire members and boost revenue.

Present and visible CEO/leadership

DEANNA FOX - NYFB

Outreach and connection

Sales funnel for acquisition New systems, better metrics

Frontline on policy Ardent advocacy

Increase benefits What do members need to thrive?

In-district events A CEO shouldn’t be the expert on all topics, but can effectively communicate clear points developed by team

Membership level restructure Can we introduce new tiers of membership?

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EXTERNAL RELATIONS NYFB is the leading advocate for farming policy and issues in New York State and the external relations strategy for public relations, public affairs, marketing and government relations should follow suit.

On Day 1, I would start developing an aggressive external relations campaign to boost the reputation and recognition of NYFB among all stakeholders, decision-makers and the general public.

BRAND MANAGEMENT When people think of NYFB, what comes to mind? Do they understand what our work entails and who we serve?

A new approach to brand management will focus on a detailed crisis communications policy, re-imagine the website and its capabilities, and create new external relations products (multichannel releases; media kits) for immediate information retrieval.

DEANNA FOX - NYFB

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EXTERNAL RELATIONS COLLABORATE AND LIAISE Be a leader among peers through strong collaborations and innovative thinking; provide exponential leverage and resonance on pertinent issues

BUILD RECOGNITION CEO should be front and center of all agriculture issues in the state; aggressive placement of NYFB brand in media through PESO (paid, earned, shared, owned) model of content; increase awareness of what NYFB does

INCREASE ENGAGEMENT Develop content that drives engagement, pulls people into the acquisition funnel, and generates native sharing of NYFB mission

EXPERT SOURCE NYFB (especially CEO and senior leadership) should be the go-to source for media and interest groups to get quotes and insight into the current issues surrounding agriculture on a local, state and national level

DEANNA FOX - NYFB

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DEANNA FOX

Deanna Fox CV, Portfolio and Testimonials Available at WWW.DEANNAFOX.COM

NYFB