The Honorable Glenn Youngkin, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia (Invited)

Governor Glenn Youngkin is a homegrown Virginian who grew up in Richmond and Virginia Beach. As his father changed jobs, Governor Youngkin learned that moving around didn’t equal moving up – nothing was handed to him. From his first job washing dishes and frying eggs at a diner in Virginia Beach, he embraced hard work and responsibility to help his family when his father lost his job. His determination to succeed earned him multiple high school basketball honors in Virginia and an athletic scholarship to college.After earning an engineering degree at Rice University, and his MBA at Harvard Business School, Governor Youngkin and his wife Suzanne moved to Northern Virginia. He landed a job at The Carlyle Group, where he spent the next 25 years. Working his way to the top of the company, Governor Youngkin played a key role in building Carlyle into one of the leading investment firms in the world. His efforts have helped fund the retirements of

Secretary Matthew Lohr, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Virginia

Matthew Lohr was raised on a Virginia century family farm in the Shenandoah Valley. As a fifth-generation farmer, he has spent his entire life working for the betterment of the agricultural industry and rural America.

Matthew developed his passion for public service and agricultural policy while serving as both a state and national FFA officer before graduating from Virginia Tech with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Education. He has more than 30 years of experience as a professional leader and communicator.

Over the past two years, Matthew has served as the Chief of the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, an agency with more than 10,000 employees across 3,000 field offices and an operating budget of over $4.5 billion.

Lindsay Reames --  Executive Vice President of Sustainability and External Relations, Maola Milk

Lindsay Reames, Executive Vice President of Sustainability and External Relations    at Maola Milk, drives industry-leading sustainability initiatives, delivering measurable change on dairy farms and across the supply chain. A pioneer in on-farm sustainability, she has forged key partnerships to implement science-based practices that reduce environmental impact and enhance farm profitability.

Jim Remcheck -- Director, Export Services, U.S. Meat Export Federation

Jim Remcheck joined USMEF in June 2023 where he is serving as Director of Export Services. Jim has primary responsibility for addressing technical market access issues in the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, China, and Taiwan. Jim also leads on market access concerns and discussions related to African Swine Fever. Prior to joining USMEF, Jim spent 10 years at USDA/ FAS, most recently in FAS/ TPGA/ Animal Division where he addressed scientific and technical barriers to trade in animal products. Jim holds a degree in Agribusiness Management from Penn State University.

Greg Edwards -- Director of Sales, Strategic Export Accounts, The Port of Virginia

Greg Edwards is a native Virginian and a lifelong resident of Hampton Roads. He joined The Port of Virginia in July 1992, giving him more than 32 years of maritime and supply chain logistics experience.

Since 2021, Greg has served with the port sales team, as Director of Sales - Strategic Export Accounts. He is focused primarily on two key verticals:

1. Agriculture and forest products
2. Chemicals and resins

Greg served on the boards of the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and “Future of Hampton Roads.” He also served as chair of the Hampton Roads Transportation and Planning Organization’s Citizen Transportation Advisory Committee.