John O'Leary
Speaker, Author, Podcaster

In 1987, John O'Leary was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, John created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on 100% of his body. He was given less than a 1% chance to live.

This epic story of survival was first showcased in his parents' book, Overwhelming Odds, in 2006. Originally printing 200 copies for friends and family, his parents have sold 60,000+ copies. It was this book that first invited John to embrace his miraculous recovery and share it with the world.

John inspires 50,000+ people at 100+ events each year. He speaks to companies and organizations across industries, such as: sales, healthcare, safety, marketing, finance, faith, education and insurance.

Lisa Quist
Land as Your Legacy Regional Vice President

Lisa is the central regional vice president for Nationwide’s Land as Your Legacy^® program, a division of the Nationwide Retirement Institute^®. Along with her team in Ohio, Lisa helps farmers, ranchers and other ag business owners build transition plans with the goal of keeping their family’s operation intact and suited to transition to the next generation.

Dr. Andrea Bjornestad
Associate Professor in the School of Education, Counseling, and Human Development
South Dakota State University

Dr. Bjornestad, Associate Professor, is the mental health state specialist in SDSU Extension. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in South Dakota and National Certified Counselor with areas of expertise in school counseling and marriage and family therapy. Her outreach and research efforts in SDSU Extension have focused on the mental health of agricultural producers. She has served as a PI, co-PI, or consultant on 17 funded grants totaling close to $12 million and has conducted studies on the factors contributing to stress, depression, anxiety, and suicide risk in farmers and ranchers. Her outreach efforts are extensive as she is known as a national leader in agricultural behavioral health. Her research and outreach efforts have been featured in local, regional, and national media.

Jessica Fyre
Executive Vice President – Chief Administrative Officer
AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit Services of America and Frontier Farm Credit

Jessica was named executive vice president – chief administrative officer in 2024. She leads human resources, organizational development, business training, corporate services, along with credit review and compliance. Jessica previously served as chief operations officer and general counsel within the Farm Credit System, where she provided executive and strategic direction to the lending operations, business applications, information technology and legal teams, and served as the principal legal advisor to the board of directors.

Laurie Johnson
Developing Markets Officer

Laurie works with young and beginning customers in northeast South Dakota.  She has worked young and beginning producers for more than a decade. Laurie grew up on a diversified crop and livestock operation north of Watertown, SD. Currently, she and her husband have three children, while also raising sheep and cattle; and have a diversified crop operation.

Carli Jacobsen
Strategic Marketing Manager

Carli's lifelong fascination with understanding human behavior began with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and elementary education from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She furthered her education with a master’s degree in Adult Learning and Leadership from Kansas State University.  Carli's diverse career spans roles in education, sales, and training, where she has delved into the intricacies of human thought processes. Her primary interest lies in how people make decisions, change their minds, and justify their actions.  In her current role, Carli continues to explore these themes, driving strategic marketing initiatives that resonate with and engage audiences.

Erin Yost
Developing Markets Officer

Erin serves customers in the west central region of South Dakota. She has worked in banking and ag business for the last 16 years. Erin collaborates with young farmers and ranchers to help them improve their financial confidence and prepare their operations for the future. She and her husband, Rodney, have two daughters, Remington and Gentry, and ranch in Buffalo County, SD.