The Billings Chamber Agriculture Committee exists to inform and educate the membership and community regarding issues and changes related to agriculture.

Committee Leadership

Our Committee Leadership is comprised of Committee Chair Alex Schimke of Stockman Bank, Co-Chair Shelbi Bradford of Western Ranch Supply and Billings Chamber staff liaison to the Ag Committee Kelsi Gambill.

For questions or to get involved, please email Kelsi Gambill.

 Committee Meeting Schedule
7 – 8 a.m. first Friday of each month. For 2025, meetings will be held at the Hampton Inn Billings, 5110 Southgate Drive, unless noted below.
*All committee members must be Chamber members in good standing.

2025 meeting schedule is as follows:

Committee Focus

• To INFORM and EDUCATE the membership and community regarding issues and changes related to agriculture.
• To PROMOTE and attendance-build for annual Agriculture Appreciation Banquet, Ag Tour, and other Ag Committee endeavors.

Interested in connecting with the Agriculture Committee? Join our group on Facebook!

The Billings Chamber Ag Committee annually hosts an Agriculture Celebration Week, Agriculture Celebration Banquet and the Adventures in Agriculture Annual Ag Tour.  If you’re interested in getting involved in these events or becoming a sponsor, please email Info@billingschamber.com.

Award for Agriculture Excellence

The 2024 Ag Excellence Award recipient is Jess Peterson.

The Billings Chamber Award for Agriculture Excellence recognizes an individual, business or organization that has made outstanding contributions to the Billings area agricultural community. Recipients are nominated by their peers for demonstrating excellence in their involvement in agriculture, leadership ability, and participation in civic, service and community organizations.

The recipient shall be an individual who plays a critical role in agriculture, one of our area’s top industries. The nomination should showcase the nominee’s deserving personal qualities, share examples of how their work has impacted the agriculture industry and indicate the ways the nominee stands out from other exceptional representatives within the industry. Nominees should be members in good standing of the Billings Chamber of Commerce; be a positive force for community growth; and generally supportive of the Chamber Ag Committee and Chamber’s strategic direction. A nominee may not be a past Ag Excellence Award recipient. A nominee may be a retired former member of the Billings Chamber. Staff discretion may apply for unique circumstances. For a current list of Chamber members, visit our membership directory.

The Billings Chamber Award for Agriculture Excellence has been presented since 2010, and the effort began with the recognition that many outstanding individuals exist within Montana’s number one industry. The Billings Chamber and the Chamber’s Ag Committee worked together to establish this award as a small way to pay tribute to the many individuals who go above and beyond to provide for our region.

Previous recipients include:

2010 Butch Bratsky	2016 Bruce MacIntyre
2011 Taylor Brown	2017 Steve Lackman
2012 Justin Mills	2018 Leroy Gabel
2013 Dan Downs Family	2019 Al McCormick
2014 Darren Miller	2020 Karen Yost
2015 Dave Kelsey	2021 Bill Dutcher
2022 Roni Baker	2023 Jann Parker

Prior to the Chamber and the Chamber Ag Committee establishing this award, Stockman Bank had a long history of selecting an “Agricultural Advocate of the Year” to recognize during the Chamber’s Ag Appreciation Banquet annually.