The National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow elected five students — from Arkansas, Texas, and Wisconsin — to serve as 2022-23 officers until July 2023. The new team will lead over 400 student and associate members in opportunities to learn and grow in agricultural communications.
President: Michelle Stangler
Michelle Stangler is a junior at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls studying agricultural marketing communications and journalism with a minor in agricultural business. Michelle was born and raised on a small dairy farm in Watertown, Wisconsin and now has a few chickens. Active in both 4-H and FFA, she spent time volunteering, competing, and serving as a state FFA officer in 2019-2020.
While in college, Michelle has become involved with Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow with ambitions to grow the organization. She is also an active student member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting alongside campus organizations including Collegiate Farm Bureau and the campus radio station WRFW.
After experiences in broadcasting, communications, and marketing through programs and internships, she is more inspired to continue sharing the positive stories of agriculture. She hopes to have her own business one day connecting consumers to agriculture in direct marketing while continuing to freelance.
In addition to her love for agriculture, Michelle enjoys giving back to the community, traveling, and being with family.
Vice President: Jace Wilkey
Jace Wilkey is a junior at Texas A&M University majoring in agricultural communications and journalism. Jace is from West Texas and was active in his FFA chapter where he exhibited livestock, attended regional competitions, and served as a district officer. Having raised sheep and goats on a ranch throughout his childhood, Jace developed a deep appreciation and understanding of agriculture.
Jace is an active member and fundraising chair of the Texas A&M Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow chapter. He is also a peer mentor for the Aggie Gateway to Success program, a pathway for prospective students during the summer semester. Here, he works directly with freshmen by leading lectures, organizing on and off-campus events, and coordinating potential media approaches. In his spare time, Jace enjoys writing, playing disc golf, cooking, and hiking.
In the future, Jace aims to contribute to consumer research for an agriculture-based communications firm. He is also considering a career path in crisis communications.
Secretary & Treasurer: John “JD” Taylor
John “JD” Taylor is a junior at Texas A&M University working on his bachelor’s in agricultural communications and journalism (AGCJ). JD is from Plano, Texas where agriculture was not a particularly common subject. However, JD learned a lot about agriculture through his parents, who actually had experience working on his maternal grandmother’s farm.
Although this is not what made JD choose to be a part of the agriculture college at Texas A&M University. His original plan, before discovering AGCJ, was to become a police officer, since he was too afraid of snakes to become a game warden. However, Texas A&M had no such program and thus JD had to search for a new major, the rest is history. JD found out about the Texas A&M ACT roughly a week after his first semester at A&M and has been a dedicated member ever since, becoming a treasurer of both his local ACT chapter at Texas A&M as well as National ACT in the same year.
Besides ACT JD’s other loves include strategy games, coffee, and his Jack Russell Terrier, Gunner.
Member Relations Coordinator: Noralee Townsend
Noralee Townsend is a junior at the University of Arkansas majoring in agricultural communications and agricultural leadership with a minor in agricultural business. Noralee is from Rose Bud, Arkansas where she was raised on a Brangus and Angus cow-calf ranch and Bermuda hay farm. She was heavily involved in 4-H and FFA.
Noralee was introduced to ACT as a freshman at the University of Arkansas. In the U of A Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow, she has served in numerous roles including her current position as vice president.
After interning at the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association, Noralee would like to continue working in the communications field in the cattle industry as well as the agriculture industry as a whole. Noralee is excited about the opportunity to work and learn from agriculture communicators from across the nation.
In her free time, you can find Noralee spending time with her family and being outdoors with her doxie by her side. She would eventually like to return to her family farm in pursuit of becoming a third-generation rancher.
Communications Coordinator: Olivia Larson
Olivia Larson is a junior at the University of Arkansas majoring in agricultural communications with minors in agricultural leadership and marketing. Olivia is from Springdale, Arkansas, and her passion for agriculture stems from watching her dad teach agricultural communications at the University of Arkansas for many years.
Olivia is heavily involved on campus and in the Bumpers College with her local Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow chapter where she has served as secretary, vice president, and now president as well as Collegiate Farm Bureau, and her sorority, Chi Omega. Olivia works with the Bumpers Honors program as a freshman honors mentor and a member of the Bumpers Honors Student Board.
After completing her undergraduate degree, Olivia wants to obtain her master’s and Ph.D. and follow in her dad’s footsteps teaching agricultural communications at the collegiate level after working for an agricultural agency doing marketing communications.
In her free time, Olivia loves to be with her friends, family, and dogs.
