Milling & Baking News - November 16, 2010 - 23

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time and modest changes have been
made such as moving the goal to increase consumption to top priority
and adding food safety.
With new leadership in NAMA and
a significant number of new members
on the Executive Committee, this
might be an appropriate time to hold
another planning session.
Milling & Baking News: What do
you see as your greatest achievement
as the head of NAMA?
Ms. Faga: First, that the organizations came together and we now have
a highly successful association. I give
great credit to the members for making it happen. Second, the creation of
the Grain Foods Foundation, an effort
in which I was deeply involved and
was very rewarding for me. I believe
the ability of the millers and bakers to
work together in the Foundation has
been instrumental in building a stronger relationship between NAMA and
the A.B.A. and broadened our collaboration on a wide range of issues.
Milling & Baking News: Was there
any single area of your work or issue
that caused you particular frustration?
Ms. Faga: It was not an issue per
se, but rather the frustration of being
unable to convince non-members of
the value of NAMA membership. A

board member and I would work in
concert to try to talk and meet with
prospective members. NAMA currently represents about 95% of the
U.S. milling capacity, which certainly
is a very commendable level. However, all milling companies can benefit
from membership.
Milling & Baking News: Any advice
for your successor?
Ms. Faga: First is to stay focused,
recognizing there are so many issues
that claim the organization's attention and time. With the current staff
size, I believe it's always important
to put energy into issues that most
directly impact the milling industry.
For other issues where we have an interest but inadequate time, being part
of a coalition of related association is
extremely valuable.
Second is to visit and get to know
the members on their "home turf." I
know Mary (Waters) is already doing this. I believe it's a critical component of successful leadership. I
found spending several hours in a
member's office is the best way to
get to know the members individually, to learn about their businesses
and issues, and to discuss their expectations of NAMA. There just isn't
adequate time at NAMA meetings to
have in-depth conversations. We are
fortunate to have a membership size

Guy Shoemaker and Betsy Faga
elected honorary NAMA members
DEL MAR, CALIF. - The board of directors of the North American Millers'
Association has elected Guy R. Shoemaker and Elizabeth A. (Betsy) Faga
honorary members of the association.
Mr. Shoemaker retired in 2009 as
president of Horizon Milling L.L.C./
Cargill, the largest flour milling company in the United States.
A graduate of Central Missouri
State University, Mr. Shoemaker began his career with Tabor Milling Co.
in 1974. In the 36 years that followed,
Mr. Shoemaker held a wide range of
positions of increasing responsibility in flour milling, grain and feed
merchandising, bakery mix production and marketing, and export grain
marketing.
He was with Seaboard Allied Milling Co. when it was acquired by
Cargill in 1982 and had assignments
with Cargill in Texas, Kansas, New
York and Minnesota.
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

In 1989, Mr. Shoemaker was named
general manager of the company's

Industry Activities

that makes such visits feasible.
Milling & Baking News: What was it
like working with millers?
Ms. Faga: Working with milling executives was one of the highlights of
my career with the milling industry.
As they would say, outside the organization they can be fierce competitors or customers of each other. However, within the organization they always came together to work for the
good of the industry. That spirit of
cooperation helped us build consensus with relative ease. My respect for
and enjoyment of those in the milling industry was one of the key factors that kept me at the association
for 40 years.
Milling & Baking News: What about
the personal qualities of millers?
Ms. Faga: Each of them was different. Intense and intelligent were
common threads with a willingness
to work on the issues. They were particularly engaged when an issue directly impacted their business. They
were teachers. When an issue came
up with which we might not be familiar, they would patiently explain
the subject and its impact. Certainly
warm and caring would be words to
describe them. And in casual times
you'd always find a lot of laughter
and joking. MBN
Kansas flour mills, and three years
later, he was named assistant vicepresident of the company's poultry
products segment.
In 1996, Mr. Shoemaker was appointed vice-president of Cargill's dry

Incoming NAMA chairman, Paul T. Maass, right, with Guy R. Shoemaker, retired-Horizon
Milling L.L.C./Cargill, and Elizabeth A. (Betsy) Faga, retired-NAMA. Mr. Shoemaker and
Ms. Faga were elected honorary members of NAMA.
Milling & Baking News November 16, 2010 / 23

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Milling & Baking News - November 16, 2010

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