Meet Our Leadership

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 owns a beef cow herd, raises broiler chickens and grows his own hay, all while continuing to restore the land he inherited.

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 devastating effects 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. Duvall and his late wife, Bonnie, were married for more than 40 years, raised four children and welcomed five grandchildren. They were honored with the national Young Farmer and Rancher Award in 1982.

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