Brownfield's Melanie Rice was named president of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) during its 2025 convention held in Kansas City in April 2025. NAMA is the nation's largest professional association for professionals in marketing and agribusiness. Melanie assumed the role of NAMA president on May 1, 2025.
Melanie has been a marketing strategist for Brownfield Ag News since 2018. She works with national, regional, and local clients to help them connect their brand messages with farmers and those who live in Rural America. Prior to working with Brownfield, Melanie worked for Carbon Media Group in digital advertising sales, Verdesian Life Sciences (formerly Specialty Fertilizer Products) in marketing and dealer relations and for Osborn-Barr Communications and Rhea & Kaiser in account services.
Before joining the NAMA executive committee, Melanie served at the chapter level as an officer of the Mo-Kan Chapter, was chairperson of both Boot Camp and fall conferences. She also served as a judge for the Best of NAMA competition and student marketing contest.
"I'm really excited about the upcoming year as president of NAMA. We have a talented executive board with a lot of diverse experience to bring new ideas to the table that will help shape the future of our organization,” said Rice. "I don't have a singular goal for this year, but know we will continue making subtle changes that will have long-term impact on the organization, starting with NAMA Nexus, the newly formatted fall conference that the executive team has been working on for a few months. NAMA Nexus will provide timely and actionable information for agricultural marketers across all career levels focusing on real issues we can build upon in our own businesses."
Melanie grew up on a diversified crop and livestock farm in Northwest Missouri and received her undergraduate degree in General Agriculture from the University of Missouri.
Melanie and her husband, Jake, and son, Harley, live on an acreage in southwest Iowa where they are active in their local community, volunteering for multiple benefit auctions and county livestock 4-H and FFA auctions. In her free time, she enjoys spending time riding horses, being outdoors, and helping her husband with his business, Rice Auction Company.
