Farm Equipment Executives Named to Iowa DOGE Task Force

Apr 10, 2025

According to the Iowa-based Business Record, two Iowa farm equipment executives have been appointed to the newly formed Iowa Defense of Grid and Energy (DOGE) Task Force.

Emily Schmitt of Sukup Manufacturing Co. will be chairing the committee. Brianne Schulte of Vermeer Corp. was also named to the panel. Schmitt currently serves as the Chief Administrative Officer & General Counsel at Sukup Manufacturing Co. Schulte works as the Vice President of Strategy, Risk, Information Technology & Financial Planning at Vermeer Corporation. To view the entire task force, click here.

“This task force is yet another opportunity to apply Iowa’s proven formula of asking tough questions and making bold, transformative changes,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a prepared statement. “I couldn’t have more confidence in the talented members of this group, under Emily Schmitt’s leadership, to build on our strong foundation and chart the course for more efficient government at all levels for Iowans.”

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Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.