The Incredible Admirable Egg-ecutive: Emily Metz

By Michelle Pelletier Marshall, Women in Agribusiness Media, with Emily Metz, American Egg Board (February 24, 2026)

If awards are any testament of one’s achievements, then Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, is at the top of her game. In 2014, in her role at the National Milk Producers Federation, she was honored as a “Rising PR Star” by a leading PR newsletter for “taking chances and making tremendous strides in her communications efforts”. In 2023, Farm Foundation named her their Emerging Leader Award Winner in recognition of her being a woman in ag who is “on the trajectory to make transformational change within the agriculture and food industries.”

And this year, the American Egg Board is a finalist for PRWeek’s 2026 U.S. Awards in Best in a Crisis, thanks in large part to Metz’s efforts and leadership. Not to mention that Metz became CEO of the American Egg Board in 2020 at age 32, one of the youngest CEOs in U.S. agricultural commodities.

From her education as a lawyer to her first job as a speechwriter with the USDA, to executive roles with the Animal Agriculture Alliance, the National Milk Producers Federation, and Genus PLC, Metz has distinguished herself as a passionate visionary dedicated to driving positive change in the ag sector.

While 2025 was a tumultuous year for the egg industry with the bird flu, legislative changes, supply chain disruptions and more, industry dynamics – the use of GLP-1 medications and eggs listed as “healthy” in the newly updated USDA Food Pyramid – are playing a role in the comeback of eggs. So too is Metz’ ambitious and driven leadership, coupled with her reputation to be one who is willing to take calculated risks and challenge organizations to dream bigger and have faith in the power of possibility.

Fortunately for Women in Agribusiness, Metz will take to the stage at the 2026 Women in Agribusiness Summit to share her deep sector knowledge and stand as a powerful example and inspiration of what can be achieved with clear goals and steadfast determination.

WIA Today got a few minutes of time for questions with this egg-ceptional woman in ag.

1). You are a lawyer by trade. What ignited your passion to work in ag?

I always say that agriculture was the career that found me, and I’m so grateful it did. Going to college in Washington, D.C. I fell in love with the city and wanted to stay for the summer, so I secured an internship with the United States Department of Agriculture. There, I was taken under the wing of the then Under Secretary for Food Safety, Dr. Richard Raymond, who let me travel the country—and the world—with him. On the road with Dr. Raymond, I met the people who produce our food: farmers. I fell in love with their passion for farming for the future, and I knew I didn’t want to work for anyone else. Even on the hardest days, it’s knowing I work for farmers that pushes me forward.

2). The U.S. egg industry faced major challenges in 2025, primarily driven by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and the resulting culling of flocks, price volatility and high costs, yet the American Egg Board weathered the storm successfully. What strategies led to this?

Being nimble and meeting our farmers and our consumers where they are. It’s easy to stick to your plan at all costs and say it’s business as usual. But had we stuck to our plan at the start of 2025, we would have been launching new marketing campaigns meant to inspire people to pick up an extra dozen eggs when there often weren’t any on the shelf, which would have been completely tone-deaf to our consumers. Plus, our farmers desperately needed research and support as they faced outbreak after outbreak of HPAI, and our customers needed reassurance. So, we hit pause on our 2025 strategies, pivoted our resources—including staff—to activate where they were needed most, and focused on two things: farmer support and crisis management to preserve customer and consumer trust in eggs.

I’d be lying if I said those massive shifts were easy on our team at AEB. They weren’t. We have passionate people who work for AEB, and they were excited about the original plans they were set to execute last year. I couldn’t be more proud of how flexible they were, and that flexibility paid dividends—both in really leading the egg industry through a massive storm that could have irrevocably damaged its reputation and in ensuring our members always see value in AEB and what it does.

It wasn’t easy, but we got the job done and came out stronger because we were focused, nimble and responsive.

3). The new USDA Food Pyramid guide places eggs in a top position, which is a first. How will this create opportunities for U.S. egg producers?

I think the new USDA Food Pyramid confirms what we’ve long known—eggs are the TOP of the TOP when it comes to protein. I know I’m biased, but first the healthy declaration by the FDA last year, and now the new Food Pyramid—everything is coming up sunny-side-up eggs!

For me, now the focus shifts to what we DO with that. By and large, consumers know eggs are healthy, so how do we remind them of that, give them new ideas and inspire even greater purchase and consumption? That’s what we’ll be focused on now more than ever.

Bigger picture: Eggs should be mandatory in schools. Period. How can AEB work to create recipes and work with schools to help find ways to make egg preparation easier and ensure that eggs are on the menu for school-aged children nationwide? That’s the goal. I’m a bit competitive, and the attention that whole milk has gotten recently has been nothing short of amazing—and I say that having worked for National Milk Producers Federation for a long time. But eggs are coming for you in schools, milk! Watch out!

4). Your primary goal is ensuring the success of the U.S. egg industry, but you also have long-since been an advocate for the entire animal protein industry. How does staying mindful of this connection across the sector shape your day-to-day work?

I think we have so much to learn from each other as leaders of organizations representing agricultural commodities. We have more similarities than we have differences, and some of my closest allies and friends represent other commodities, including dairy, corn, soybeans, beef, blueberries, and more. I’ve always seen part of my role in any ag group as an advocate for all of agriculture, because there are so few people who actually know what it takes to produce our food, and there’s still so much misinformation out there. Even around the Thanksgiving dinner table, I find myself correcting preconceived notions that non-agriculture people have about farming and food production. To me, that’s the higher calling—to help connect people to their food and help them understand farming in a real way.

5). The WIA audience includes many young professional women such as yourself who are climbing the ladder in ag, or striving to do so. As someone who exemplifies this journey, what advice would you offer young women pursuing success in agriculture?

Yikes. This is a lofty question. I think that had you asked me this a year ago, I would have given a very different answer than I do today. 2025 was, professionally, a very challenging year for me. As someone who defines much of her self-worth by her career, I've had lofty career moves that didn’t come to pass, leading me to question my value in a way I haven’t before.

I’ve truthfully always bristled at the phrase “female leader” or “woman in ag” not because it’s not valid, but because I've just always wanted to be a leader. Period.

I used to hear women at conferences talk about hitting the ceiling of their careers, and I always wondered about that because it was never my experience. I had amazing mentors over my career who always built me up and pushed me forward.

Last year, though, I body slammed into the proverbial glass ceiling, and I won’t lie—it was painful. But, after a lot —and I mean a lot—of self-reflection, here’s what I would say to those coming after me:

• It’s ok to be ambitious. It’s ok to want more for yourself, for the company you work for or for the industry you represent. Celebrate your ambition. Everyone around you might not share your sense of urgency, and that’s ok, but don’t give up on it or on them. Keep pushing yourself and wanting more.
  

• You will have setbacks at the moments you least expect. People will disappoint you; the people you respect most will let you down. Recognize in those moments it’s more about them and their own insecurities and egos than it is about you. I read the phenomenal book “The Let Them Theory,” and it’s really helped me to see people for who they are and let them make their own decisions—even bad ones—if that’s what they want to do. The results are on them. So, let them!
  

• Most importantly, don’t ever let anyone dim your light. You may be too much for some people. That’s ok. I’m too much for a lot of people. But, you’ll find the people you’re not too much for—from partners to colleagues to friends—and those people will push you to be full-on you. Don’t shrink to make the lowest common denominator more comfortable. Shine on and challenge them to rise to meet you.
  

And lastly, find a good playlist that helps you overcome hurdles and makes you smile. Living room dance parties cure a lot of hard days. Trust me.