Agri-Marketing Senior’s Role in NAMA Changes as She Steps into President Role
Serving as the President this year, Savannah Bordner’s (Agrimarketing; Cutler, IN) role as a member of NAMA has looked a little different than it has in the past. She got involved with the team her freshman year following encouragement from older members of the club and never looked back. “There are so many opportunities within NAMA, you gain many professional skills, and meet some great people! I am very grateful to have been part of such a great team over the last four years,” she mentioned.
As the President she works with the Vice Presidents of Marketing, Kayla and Taylor, to develop a plan for each meeting to ensure they reach their goals. She also takes care of the organization's logistics by communicating with their advisor and NAMA staff, but she still works on the marketing plan with her team members. She said, “sometimes getting 15-20 team members all on the same page when creating the plan can be difficult, but learning compromise and collaboration skills is very beneficial.”
Being a part of the NAMA team, Savannah has had the opportunity to work with all aspects of building the marketing plan at some point. She stated, “I personally have really enjoyed learning about it all. I think developing the product and then doing the research on why this product is needed and how it can benefit farmers is interesting.” They spend each meeting prior to their competition in April developing their plan and bringing in different people to give feedback on their plan. Then, each year, they travel to the competition. Last year it was in Kansas City and they placed 4th as a team! This year the team will be traveling to St. Louis to compete. “The competition is super fun, and you meet a lot of great students, building connections that will last a lifetime.”
When reflecting on her experiences with NAMA, Savannah said the one thing she will remember most is the relationships built. “Being a part of NAMA comes with a pretty significant time commitment where all of us on the team spend a lot of time together between meetings and having classes together. This has allowed for some really meaningful relationships to form and I know I will value each of these for years to come.” She said this has been one of her favorite college experiences because not only do you learn a lot that prepares you for your classes and future career, but your team members become some of your best friends. If you are interested in marketing or just want to try something new, she would encourage anyone to get involved!