It is hard to believe that we went directly from winter to summer! It was great seeing everyone at the district meetings. All the meetings were well attended, and I am looking forward to catching up with you at our upcoming conference.

We are pleased to announce that both the bills we brought forward as an association (SB 244 and HB 505) were signed by the governor. Thanks to all those who submitted written testimony on these issues as well as the ones who made the time to testify in person. It was greatly appreciated. I would also like to thank Brad Longcake for doing a wonderful job of lobbying for us this session.

Jim Brown, Terri James, Chris Holt and I attended the Advocacy Summit for the NFDA in Washington, D.C. What a wonderful experience. Jim’s expertise and knowledge of how to get around the U.S. Capitol came in key for our meetings with all four of our Montana Delegates.

Our state convention is approaching very quickly. I encourage those who have not registered to do so. Terri James has some great speakers lined up for us all to get in those all-important continuing education credits. We also have some fun outings planned for everyone such as golf, a prairie dog shoot, and complimentary Clydesdale horse rides. Hope to see you all in Miles City in just a few weeks.

Thank you all for this wonderful experience of serving as your MFDA President. It has been a great learning experience for me. If anyone has suggestions on how we can better serve our membership, please feel free to reach out to us at any time.

Sincerely,
T.J. Stevenson