Speaker's Bureau Events
WALSAA established the Speaker’s Bureau as a free resource to CALS and FISC students and student organizations who are seeking high quality content; in-person or virtual. The WALSAA Speaker’s Bureau is a collection of outstanding WALSAA members who have subject expertise and a desire to support CALS and FISC students. These volunteers will share with their audiences their scholarly pursuits, professional expertise and personal interests and experiences.
How do I schedule a speaker?
All speakers are scheduled through our WALSAA office. Please fill out the request form HERE.
Contact Stephanie Hammerly, WALSAA Membership and Events Coordinator at 608-438-1994 or admin@walsaa.org with questions.
On-Demand Webinars
WALSAA Speaker’s Bureau Scholarship Series #1
Building YOUR Brand: Resumes and Interviews
Topic: What Do I Look for in a Resume and Interview?
Speaker: Michael Murphy
WALSAA Speaker’s Bureau Webinar Series #1
Virtual Interviews: Pj’s are Professional, Right?
Topic: Professionalism and Engagement
Speaker: Jill Makovec
WALSAA Speaker’s Bureau Webinar Series #2
Virtual Interview & Resume Tips and Starting Your Internship or Career During a Pandemic
Speakers: Julie Larson and Brooke Trustem
WALSAA Outstanding Sophomore Award Panel
Speakers: Brooke Trustem (Moderator)
View this on Facebook Live HERE
WALSAA Speaker’s Bureau Webinar Series #3
Building a Community in your Internship or Career
Speakers: Allie Breunig, Filament; Jessica Wendt, Danone; Natalie Endres, John Deere
Moderator: Brooke Trustem
View this Webinar HERE
Meet Our Speakers
Jessica Wendt – Danone
Jessica Wendt is a 2019 University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Agricultural Business Management graduate. On campus, she was very involved in the Association of Women in Agriculture, the National Agri-Marketing Association, Collegiate Farm Bureau, and CALS Ambassadors. Additionally, she also interned at Kuhn North America, Land O’Lakes and PepsiCo. After graduation, she worked for PepsiCo in their Frito-Lay business as a Packaging and Seasoning Supply Manager for 3 years in Plano, Texas. Interested in learning another part of the Food and Beverage industry with a change of scenery, she now currently works for Danone as a Procurement Manager for Marketing services in Denver, Colorado. Wendt is originally from Stoughton, WI where she found her passion for the agriculture industry on her family’s hobby farm raising dairy goats and pumpkins.
Allie Breunig – Filament Marketing
Allie Breunig grew up in Roxbury, Wisconsin on her family’s 450-cow Registered Holstein farm, Mystic Valley Dairy. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a third generation Badger and studied Life Sciences Communication and Entrepreneurship before graduating in May 2020. Allie moved to North Carolina following graduation to work in crop protection marketing and sales. Her roles included participating in a professional development program and as a Business Representative covering Mid-Atlantic states. In August of 2022, she returned to Wisconsin and joined Filament, an agriculture-focused marketing agency, as an Account Manager.
List of Topics: Building a Community in Your Internship or Career
Pierce Dopp – WALSAA Vice President | pierce.dopp@gmail.com
Pierce Dopp is a financial advisor working for BMO Harris Bank. He’s a UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences animal sciences graduate currently serving on the WALSA financial management committee. He’s been actively involved in the Wausau community in various civic volunteer roles.
List of Topics: The Fundamentals of Personal Finance, Goal Setting
Natalie Endres – John Deere Financial
Natalie Endres is a 2017 University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Agricultural Business Management graduate. During her time on campus, she was actively involved in the Association of Women in Agriculture, the National Agri-Marketing Association, and Collegiate Farm Bureau. Since graduating, she has worked for John Deere Financial in marketing and credit roles and recently transitioned into her current position as a Tactical Marketing Planner for Production and Precision Ag markets in the US and Canada. Endres was raised on her family’s dairy farm in Waunakee, WI and currently lives and works remotely in Middleton, Wisconsin.
List of Topics: Building a Community in Your Internship or Career
Dr. Adam Gaspar – WALSAA Director | adam.gaspar@corteva.com
Adam Gaspar is an agronomy research scientist for Corteva AgriSciences. He received his undergraduate degree from South Dakota State University and both his masters and PhD in agronomy from the UW-Madison. He’s been an active agricultural industry and community volunteer and has demonstrated success working on several fundraising and endowment campaigns. Adam and his wife Kali live in Janesville and have a son, Isaac and a daughter, Clara.
List of Topics: Agriculture, Farming and Agronomy
Julie Larson – WALSAA Director | julielarson2424@gmail.com
Julie Larson is the US Regional Sales Director for Connecterra, an artificial intelligence company focused on the dairy farm. Prior to joining Connecterra, she worked for Filament Marketing as Vice-President of Client Business Services, Boehringer-Ingelheim Animal Health, and Merial in Senior Sales Development and Accelerated Genetics in Public Relations/Communications.
She has a strong focus on giving back and paying forward and throughout her career has served numerous on local, state and national industry boards and committees.
Julie and her husband Kevin, a Corteva Agriscience Sales Agent live on a small dairy heifer and 300-acre crop farm in Viroqua. They have two children, Thomas (CALS Biological Systems Engineering Degree, May 2016) and Katherine (a UW-Platteville graduate in Ag. Business, May 2018).
List of Topics:
- How to write a cover letter and resume that no one will forget! Learn why it’s important to write a cover letter that connects with the job requirements and a resume to remember.
- A career in sales? Everyone should consider it. Your image of sales may be outdated. Sales teach you how to ask BIG questions that make a huge impact on business, solutions, gaps, and handling conflict, to name a few. A career I said would be the last thing I would do as a freshman in college was life-changing.
- Don’t Over Think That First Job After College Learn what to look for in a job that is the best for you and how your career is a journey, not a one-stop shop.
Jill Makovec – WALSAA Director & Bookkeeper | jillmakovec@uwalumni.com
Jill grew up on her family’s dairy farm, Lazy M Acres, near Muscoda, Wisconsin. Today, she is a National Account Executive with Learfield Communications representing Wisconsin Radio and Brownfield Ag Networks. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she earned her master’s degree in dairy science for her research and focus on milk quality, along with a bachelor’s degree in dairy science and agricultural journalism.
A strong advocate for Wisconsin agriculture, Jill served as the 60th Alice in Dairyland where she worked to promote the industry’s significance to the state’s economy and quality of life. Currently, she works with the Wisconsin Agricultural and Life Science Alumni Association serving as the bookkeeper and the Wisconsin Fairest of the Fair committee.
Very involved locally, Jill initiated the formation of the Leading Ladies – a coalition of women leaders in her hometown designed to mentor others, beautify the community, promote tourism and enhance economic initiatives. In addition, Jill plans to continue the legacy of agriculture on her family’s century farm.
List of Topics: Dining Etiquette, Professionalism and Professional Image, and Public speaking
Michael Murphy | michael.murphy@dsm.com
Michael Murphy, Ph.D., is a 1987 University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) graduate in agricultural economics who has a passion for learning and employee performance. Murphy continued his education at UW-Whitewater to earn a master’s degree in business administration, and then at Benedictine University for his Ph.D. in organizational development. Currently, Murphy works for DSM as an Account Manager supporting the Agricultural industry throughout the Midwest. Murphy and his wife, Nancy, live in DeWitt, Iowa, with their three adult children.
List of Topics: Resumes and Interviews
Brooke Trustem | btrustem@boumatic.com
Brooke Trustem is from Evansville, Wisconsin, and she is currently the Sales & Marketing Coordinator for BouMatic. Trustem was raised on her family’s 2,500-cow dairy farm. She is passionate about the dairy industry. A recent UW-Madison CALS graduate, Trustem was highly involved in many agriculture-related organizations on campus. She was the President of CALSAA and the Badger Dairy Club, Secretary of the Association of Women in Agriculture and Director of Public Relations for the Collegiate Farm Bureau. In these roles, Trustem helped coordinate events that helped educate the public about agriculture.
List of Topics: Starting Your Career During a Pandemic