2025 ISPC Speakers
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig grew up on his family’s Century Farm in northwest Iowa near Cylinder. He continues to be involved in the family’s operation today working alongside his father and uncle. A graduate of Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, he has spent his entire career working in the agriculture industry. Mike and his wife, Jaime, have three boys.
Mike was elected as the 15th Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in November 2018 and reelected in 2022. He provides leadership for the Department, which provides programs and services to Iowans and the ag community in the areas of consumer protection, food safety, animal industry, water quality, soil conservation and more.
In a state where agriculture is a leading economic driver, Mike knows that a strong Iowa relies on strong Iowa agriculture, and he strives each day to ensure the future of Iowa agriculture remains bright for the next generation.
As Secretary, he is committed to: expanding markets; protecting Iowa’s natural resources; advocating for Iowa’s youth; and making Iowa an even better place to live, work and raise a family.
Mike works tirelessly to expand economic opportunities for Iowa farmers, livestock producers, agribusinesses and all the hard-working men and women who provide food, feed, fiber and fuel to consumers here and around the world. He leads efforts to grow local, domestic and international markets and to expand trade opportunities.
Under Mike’s leadership, the Department leads the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy by working with more than 350 public and private partners on conservation initiatives designed to improve water quality, enhance soil health and protect Iowa’s natural resources. Mike will continue to push for acceleration of the state’s conservation efforts to get more conservation practices on the ground across Iowa.
Mike is a strong advocate for the next generation of leaders and actively supports youth education and leadership programs, which prepare them for rewarding careers in agriculture and encourages them to call Iowa home.
Choose Iowa Program Director, Beth Romer
Beth Romer’s passion for agriculture propagated and grew on her family’s Century Farm where she learned firsthand the value of hard work and respect for stewarding the land for future generations. Beth’s marketing and communications expertise in agribusiness and production agriculture, forestry and conservation education strategically align with promoting and supporting Iowa’s farmers and the foods they raise through the Choose Iowa Marketing Promotion and Grant Program. Beth most recently enjoyed collaborating on a promotional cookbook project including developing recipes, food styling and food photography and videography for another state’s branded marketing program. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from Wayne State College and a master’s in business administration from Iowa State University. When not helping on her family’s farm or exploring farmers markets, fairs and agritourism destinations, Beth and her husband, James, enjoy their flourishing garden and menagerie of farm animals near Altoona, Iowa.
State Climatologist of Iowa, Justin Glisan
Dr. Glisan has an extensive background in atmospheric and climatological research, with expertise in the analysis of extreme temperature and precipitation events. He earned his B.S. (2005) and M.S. (2007) in meteorology at the University of Missouri, where he concentrated on droughts and heat waves. In 2012, he completed his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences at Iowa State University with a research concentration on the dynamical causal mechanisms of precipitation and temperature extremes. While at Iowa State University, his research had a strong academic collaboration across a broad range of federally funded projects. His work experience includes advanced atmospheric research techniques, large data machine learning, and statistical analysis.
As State Climatologist of Iowa, his responsibilities include quality control of Iowa weather observations, weekly recommendations to the U.S. Drought Monitor, and weekly and monthly climate summaries for state stakeholders. Iowa weather and climate observations go back to 1872 and represent the history of weather across the state. These observations help tell the story of Iowa agriculture and how resilient and innovative the state’s farmers are and have been. Looking at how trends in precipitation and temperature are changing and applying this climatological analyses through the lens of agriculture is also a very important part of the position. Dr. Glisan advises the Secretary of Agriculture on climatological matters impacting the agricultural sector.
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