GEAPS Exchange's member-driven education programming [Video]

Transcript:

Feed & Grain 00:00

Can you tell us a little about yourself and what you do at GEAPS?

Randy Bowman 00:11

So my name is Randy Bowman. I work with a manufacturer called LINAK. I'm on the EPC, which is the educational programming committee. I am for 2023. I'm the chair of that committee.

F&G 00:24

What made you decide to get involved with GEAPS?

Bowman 00:30

So we started ... when I started with GEAPS back when Exchange was in Louisville, KY, I think it was 2013. So that's when I started with GEAPS, and my interaction with GEAPS started because of that. But then there's the other question, why have I stayed with GEAPS? And that is really just because of how much you learn through these sessions. And also, to me, just the relationships that you build and what you learn from the people that you grow relationships with is really good.

F&G 01:04

How does the Educational Programming Committee decide on the education program at GEAPS?

Bowman 01:10

So deciding, it's a really big task deciding on the educational program because there's always so much good content. But the mechanics are, take we have an open call for speakers that want to give topics that want to speak. So that gives us some material to choose from. We also ... our committee have about the mid-20s As far as people with a lot of experience in the industry. So they know future trends, and they are living the GEAPS life. So they know what's going on in the industry and other industries. So they bring a lot of good feedback into that. And then also we just love to hear back from the industry. We have things like the barcode that you see here that we introduced this year, where people can get surveys. Did you like what you saw in this year's educational programming? And can you make any suggestions on what you might see in the upcoming exchanges?

F&G 01:11

What education opportunities/sessions are you excited about at the GEAPS Exchange?

Bowman 02:21

So education in GEAPS is obviously that's a big part of the mission of GEAPS. So there are a lot of different educational opportunities for long distances, from webinars to what people can learn in that chapter meetings. But the education programming committee is focused mainly on what happens at Exchange. Although some of the content of some of the speakers might be their starting point, they go off and have a webinar, which has been very well attended or vice versa. They start with the webinar and then present an Exchange.

F&G 02:57

Are you involved with other GEAPS education opportunities? Is anything coming up that viewers should keep an eye on?

Bowman 03:02

That's a very hard question to answer because I'm biased, being on the committee. There are so many good opportunities. The two primary things we focus on, I mean, there's the core items and the core topics. Maintenance, for example, that are every year, safety every year, but we're also looking for opportunities, kind of newer things like what some future trends are, some new information or some what's relevant for this year. And we always try to take that into account as well. So just try to keep it fresh, keep it new. Just put the best educational experience available because it's such a big part of what Exchange offers to folks.

Randy Bowman, senior manager, Central Region at LINAK U.S. Inc., and chair of the GEAPS Exchange Educational Programing Committee, spoke with Feed & Grain about the educational programming at the GEAPS Exchange. Over the course of three days, the GEAPS Exchange hosts dozens of educational opportunities covering different aspects of the grain handling industry.

Topics discussed include:

• How GEAPS forms their educational programming
• The programming at this year's Exchange
• How the industry can have input on the educational programming
• Other education opportunities from GEAPS

Miss this year's GEAPS Exchange? Check out Feed & Grain's GEAPS coverage and find slides from educational sessions on GEAPS' website.