Meet our Leadership

President Zippy Duvall & Vice President Scott VanderWal

Zippy's Story

Zippy Duvall has served as president of the American Farm Bureau Federation since 2016. He is a third-generation farmer from Georgia. He and his son operate a beef cow herd, raise broiler chickens and grow their own hay, all while continuing to restore the farmland that has been in the family for more than 90 years.

Through his leadership as AFBF president, Duvall has helped to shape a new farm bill, defeat misguided regulations, shepherd new trade agreements and ensure farmers and ranchers are supported through natural disasters and the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2017, Duvall was honored by the National 4-H Council as a founding luminary, a group of influential 4-H alumni. Prior to being elected AFBF president, he was president of the Georgia Farm Bureau and served on the AFBF board of directors. In 1987, he also served a year on the AFBF board as Young Farmer Committee chair.

Duvall and his new wife, Jennifer, were married in December 2021. Both lost their first spouses. With their union, the family has grown from four children and five grandchildren to six children and seven grandchildren.

My dad got me involved in Farm Bureau by encouraging me to get outside my fencerows and get involved in policymaking.

EPA Needs to Bring More Farmers to the Table

May 18, 2022 | The Zipline

Hear Zippy’s latest podcast:

I Love Strawberries: New Book Inspires Children to Grow Their Own Food

May 2, 2022 | Farmside Chat

Scott's Story

AFBF Vice President Scott VanderWal is a third-generation corn and soybean farmer and cattle feeder from Volga, South Dakota. Their family operation is just west of Brookings, South Dakota, which is the home of South Dakota State University.

VanderWal was elected AFBF vice president in 2016 and soon after was selected to represent AFBF on the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action board of directors. VanderWal continues to serve as president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau, a position he’s held since June 2004.

His early Farm Bureau leadership roles include service on the SDFB Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee and the AFBF YF&R Committee. VanderWal also traveled to Germany as a McCloy Fellow in 1996 and represented agriculture during missions to Brazil in 2001 and Cuba in 2004.

VanderWal and his wife, Michelle, are proud parents of two sons and grandparents of four and are active in their local community and church.

photo: Brenda Dreyer, SDFB

One of Farm Bureau’s main roles is to make sure Congress, the White House and federal government agencies understand how their policies affect farmers and ranchers — and the millions of people we feed.