Moderated Panel Discussion

Adam D. Schwartz
Vice President, Public Affairs and Member Services

Adam D. Schwartz is vice president for public affairs and member
services for the National Cooperative Business Association, the
nation’s only cross-sector member association representing cooperative
businesses. Schwartz joined NCBA in 2005 where his responsibilities include
membership & member services, communications and public policy.

NCBA acts as the unified voice for the more than 29,000 cooperatives, bringing
together cooperatives from all sectors, including producer, consumer, worker-
owned and purchasing. For nearly a century, NCBA’s mission is to develop,
protect and advance cooperative businesses.
Schwartz’s background in lobbying and public policy supported NCBA’s success
in getting Congress to fund the first-ever in-depth research project on the
economic impact of cooperatives, conducted by the University of Wisconsin
Center for Cooperatives. Released in April of 2009, Schwartz leveraged the
extensive cooperative network to create marketing collateral, training and articles
to convey the study’s results. Schwartz, a frequent speaker on cooperative
business, appeared on CNN’s Issue #1 news program in 2008 to promote to
promote cooperatives as the better business model for economic and social
change.

Prior to joining NCBA, Schwartz served as Vice President of External Affairs
for the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative in Herndon, Va. NRTC
delivers satellite television, Internet and other services to 1,200 rural electric and
telephone cooperatives across the country.

Before joining NRTC in 2001, Schwartz was a senior legislative representative
for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in Arlington, Va., for
nine years. His legislative victories at NRECA included securing language in tax
legislation that saved members over $13 million annually.

Schwartz previously served on the board of the American league of Lobbyists.
He has also worked for the National Council of Savings Institutions and the
National Association of Home Builders in Washington. He has a bachelor’s
degree from the State University of New York at Oneonta and completed all
course work for a master’s degree from The George Washington University
School of International Affairs. An avid hockey enthusiast, Schwartz resides in
McLean, Virginia with his two teenage daughters.

Contact Information:

1401 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
Email: aschwartz@ncba.coop
Office: (202) 383-5456 Cell: (703) 608-0534

Ellen Michel

Ellen Michel is marketing and outreach manager for Bloomingfoods, a cooperative grocery run by Bloomington Cooperative Services in Bloomington, Indiana. The author of numerous articles in "Cooperative Grocer" magazine, she has given presentations at NCGA's Marketing Matters, CCMA, and the "Up and Coming, Up and Running" Food Co-op Start Up Conference. Ellen serves on the boards of the Local Growers Guild and the Indiana Cooperative Development Center. She is also a member of the Howard Bowers Fund Advisory Board, for the Cooperative Development Foundation.

Megan McKoy-Noe
Associate Editor
NRECA’s Straight Talk

Megan is an energetic communicator and graphic designer with a love for the world of rural electrification. As part of NRECA’s Straight Talk Alert team she provides monthly articles and graphics for co-ops across the nation.

Before joining NRECA, she worked at GreyStone Power, a Georgia co-op, for almost seven years. While there she wrote features and press releases, designed everything from t-shirts to award-winning newsletters, captured smiles on film, got children excited about being mini-members, and had a great time being part of the co-op family.

Todd T. Carroll
Vice President, IDC-USA

Todd Carroll was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, growing up in the power transmission industry. He spent many years of his childhood working in his father's business, Hoosier Rubber. In 1992, Todd earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision, School of Technology, from Purdue University. He graduated with honors in just 3 ½ years.

Todd's first business venture was a full service lawn care company, which he founded and managed while simultaneously attending college. The lawn care company provided lawn maintenance, irrigation, and landscaping to over one hundred residential and commercial accounts. Todd sold his lawn service company in 1993 to return to the industrial distribution market with Martin Sprocket and Gear, Inc. He advanced from Technical Sales Management Trainee to Inside Sales Manager in just four short years.

After leaving Martin Sprocket, he spent two years working for Rexnord Corporation as a District Sales Representative in Portland, Oregon, and the next four years advancing from District Sales Manager to Regional Manager at Jeffrey Chain Corporation.

In February of 2004, IDC-USA named Carroll as their National Sales Manager. Carroll brings eleven years experience in the power transmission industry to the position which is responsible for national accounts, IDC-USA branded product sales, and shareholder/member growth.

The IDC Board of Directors named Carroll Vice President on January 1, 2008.