ARLINGTON, VA – All three will be speaking at the 2016 USA Rice Outlook Conference in Memphis, Tennessee, December 7-9 and you won’t want to miss any of them!
The keynote address on Thursday, December 8 will be given by Dr. Michael Massimino, Ph.D, a former NASA Astronaut and current Columbia University professor who has the distinction of being the first person to Tweet from space! Massimino had a distinguished career as an astronaut; he and his shuttle crews traveled faster and higher than any other astronauts in the 21st century, and he performed the most dangerous and complex repair job in history when he and his crew repaired the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009. He is an author and serves as a science consultant for the popular TV sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, where he sometimes plays himself.
Shelly Van Treeck, Global Chief Procurement Officer for the Kellogg Company, the world’s leading cereal company and second largest user of rice in the United States with sales last year of $13.5 billion, will address conference attendees on her company’s vision, sustainability, and the great partnership between the rice industry and Kellogg.
Followers of the rice industry know that the U.S. has had a tough time in Iraq for the last several years. USA Rice has led the way on this side of the Atlantic with help from Members of Congress and the Obama Administration. On the other side of the Atlantic U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones has been a tireless advocate for U.S. rice. Ambassador Jones will address the crowd at Outlook this year to share his thoughts on the region – what came to pass in Iraq, and what lies ahead.
And that’s just the first two hours!
Additional program details are available online, and will be announced here in the USA Rice Daily in the coming weeks. So
register now and book your stay at the Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel.
We’ll let you know when you can hear crowd favorites Jim Weisemeyer and Nathan Childs; what is being planned for the Conservation & Sustainability Outlook Session; and just what is a USA Rice Innovation Stage? (Hint: it’s in the middle of the 37,000+ square foot Exhibit Hall.)
Companies interested in Outlook sponsorships, exhibiting, or learning right now about the Innovation Stage should contact
Jeanette Davis at USA Rice at (703) 236-1447.