Leadership Team
Unity. Action. Influence.
Meet the dedicated and passionate leaders of American Agri-Women. Our team is committed to promoting and advocating for agriculture, ensuring our voices are heard by the public, and our government. Officers are elected to two year terms at our annual Convention in the fall. Get to know our team members and their roles below.
Interested in leadership opportunities? Get more information here.
President
Rose Tryon
California Women for Agriculture
Rose Tryon grew up on a beef, dairy & potato ranch. She is a fifth-generation farmer on her father's side of the family and a third-generation Portuguese immigrant and farmer on her mother's side. Rose and her husband, Michael VanCott, are actively involved in operating her family farm in Del Norte County, California. Rose is a retired District Attorney investigator who specialized in child abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence investigations. She is also a full-charge bookkeeper specializing in agricultural accounting. Rose served as the 25th State President of California Women for Agriculture (CWA) and in multiple capacities at the affiliate's state and local levels. She has been active in American Agri-Women (AAW) since 2011. She served six years on the American-Agri Women Foundation Board of Directors and several years as the AAW Natural Resources Co-Director. Rose is a 2022 recipient of the AAW LEAVEN award. In 2018, Rose and her husband, Michael, lost their home in the devastating forest fire that destroyed the town of Paradise, California. They have rebuilt their home in Paradise. In November 2020, Rose was elected to the Paradise Town Council. She currently represents the town of Paradise on the Butte County Air Quality Management District Governing Board and the Butte County Association of Governments. Rose also serves on the Butte County Farm Bureau and the Butte County Fire Safe Council Board of Directors and is a Farm Journal Foundation Farmer Ambassador for Northern California. Rose has a unique background and work experience in farming and law enforcement. She enjoys collaborating with people from diverse social and economic backgrounds and has been a longtime advocate for the health of rural communities.
First Vice President
Vital Issues and Membership
Kim Bremmer
Wisconsin Women for Agriculture
Kim Bremmer is a visionary leader and the Founder and Owner of Ag Inspirations, LLC, as well as the Executive Director of Venture Dairy Cooperative. With a strong commitment to serving the dairy farming community, Kim has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of agriculture in Wisconsin. As Executive Director of Venture Dairy Cooperative, a USDA-certified third-party milk testing verification cooperative, she has spearheaded efforts to empower dairy farmers by driving the cooperative’s strategic vision, fostering advocating for their interests in the ever-evolving agricultural sector. Kim’s dedication extends to her role as a registered State Lobbyist, where she tirelessly champions the cooperative’s cause in Wisconsin’s political arena. An eloquent communicator and advocate for agriculture, Kim also shares her expertise as a Professional Speaker and Communications Consultant through Ag Inspirations LLC, engaging diverse audiences on communication and leadership in advocacy. Her dynamic presence and commitment to the agricultural community are further evident in her contributions over the years serving American Agri-Women in various capacities, solidifying her as a respected voice and thought leader in the field. We look forward to her leadership in 2024 and beyond!
Vice President
Communications
Chrissy Wozniak
Florida Agri-Women
Chrissy Wozniak is from the small town of Ridgeway, Ontario, Canada but now lives in Cape Coral, Florida with her family. She grew up with a deep love and respect for agriculture. Chrissy is the founder of North American Ag. Her experience & love of the industry has led her to create the North American Ag platform and become the host of two podcasts – The North American Ag Spotlight & What Color is Your Tractor. North American Ag provides daily ag news and weekly podcasts, devoted to highlighting the great people and companies that serve the agriculture industry and help feed our world. Covering ag tech, issues, policy, new products, family & faith. North American Ag gives farm families and ag professionals’ insight into what’s happening in agriculture throughout North America. She found a need in the industry for an open dialogue about the issues that impact our food supply chain, and welcomes discussion about politics and religion where they impact ag, in a climate where open discussion has been suppressed in many arenas. Her company is also a full-service marketing agency who works primarily with agriculture-based companies and farms. Chrissy is a member of Florida Agri-Women and currently serves on the Executive Committee as Secretary. Besides business, she loves God, her family, her dogs, growing her family’s own food in her tropical garden, horses & fishing.
Vice President
Education
Debbie Bacigalupi
Nevada Agri-Women
Debbie Bacigalupi is a dedicated businesswoman, and passionate agriculture advocate. A proud sixth-generation Californian, Debbie's roots run deep in agriculture, where her family has worked to provide healthy, nutrient-rich food to their community. As someone who cherishes the land and her animals, Debbie is committed to advocating for the protection of private property rights, and addressing overregulation that impacts farmers and ranchers. Her entrepreneurial spirit and critical thinking drive her efforts to tackle California's challenges, including economic uncertainty and the erosion of individual liberties. With a solutions-oriented approach, Debbie works tirelessly to protect future generations and uphold the values that make California extraordinary.
Secretary
Alex Henderson
Texas Agri-Women
Alex grew up on her family’s grain farm in north-central Indiana, where she developed a lifelong passion for agriculture. She graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics and held leadership roles as the Dairy Club President. In her role as a Cash Commodity Trader at Pedestal Commodity Group, LLC, Alex specializes in price discovery, physical commodity trading, and developing customized client reports for dairies across the United States. Her commitment to agriculture extends into her community, where she serves as Treasurer of both Texas Agri-Women’s Panhandle Chapter and Texas Agri-Women, as well as National Secretary for American Agri-Women. She also enjoys mentoring the next generation as the cheer coach for Hartley ISD High School. Today, Alex resides in West Texas with her husband on a dairy farm. Her deep-rooted connection to farming, coupled with her leadership and dedication, continues to drive her efforts to foster innovation and growth in the agricultural industry.
Treasurer
Kathy Goodyke
Minnesota Agri-Women
Kathy Goodyke began her AAW adventure by attending the 1994 AAW Convention at Tigard, Oregon. The friendships developed over those several days are still close to her. Since that initial convention, she has attended many others along with AAW Mid-Year meetings. She serves as the lead on Taxes in the Committee of Governmental Issues, and prepared a White Paper for the 2021 Fly In. Kathy is the Minnesota Agri-Women Treasurer and past secretary. Receiving an associate degree in accounting began her career with AgCountry, preparing farmers’ bookkeeping and financial reports for the loan officer and tax preparer. With a love for education, Kathy went on to receive a BS in Nursing. She worked in community, public, and hospital nursing until 2007. When her husband needed help on the farm, she was introduced to life on a tractor. From then on, being able to work in the field and see what she was able to do, put her careers on permanent hold. She worked the ground, ran the grain cart and did a lot of her own equipment maintenance. It was full-time enjoyment. Since retiring from the farm in 2016, Kathy has become active in the area seniors center as the secretary, grant writer and financial chairperson. She enjoys quilting and being a member of the church quilt group, for which she is the treasurer. Kathy and her husband remain busy with maintaining the farm site and with their daughters and families and will always be keeping an eye on the fields.
Past President
Heather Hampton+Knodle
Illinois Agri-Women
As a farmer, past communications consultant and association manager, Heather Hampton+Knodle is dedicated to developing rural economies through incentivizing investments in telecommunications, innovative workforce development and enabling entrepreneurship and leadership development. Heather was the founding chairman of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, the Central Illinois Economic Development Authority and the Montgomery CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities) program. She currently serves as the appointed Chairman of the Examining Current and Future Connectivity Demand for Precision Agriculture Working Group of the Federal Communications Commission Precision Agriculture Task Force; on the advisory boards for AIFARMS and SCI Prairie works; and as a Citizen Member appointee to Illinois Governor’s Rural Affairs Council. Heather farms with her husband Brian where they and their four children, ages 13-20, grow corn, soybeans, and wheat and manage a small herd of black Angus cattle. Since Heather joined Illinois Agri-Women 1995, she has served as Illinois affiliate Secretary and President, chaired the program and planning for three national conventions, served as AAW Secretary, First Vice President, Governmental Issues Chairman, Farm Bill Task Force Chairman, Water Resources and Rural Development Chairman. Heather is a 2008 recipient of the AAW LEAVEN Award and 2004 recipient of the AAW President’s Award.