Farm Bureau officials are excited to announce that retired astronaut Mark Kelly will be the keynote speaker at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2013 Annual Meeting, Jan. 13-16, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. While Kelly is known for his work in space, he is also a loving caregiver to his wife former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in January 2011.

Kelly is one of America’s most experienced pilots and has logged more than 6,000 flight hours aboard more than 50 different aircraft. His experience includes 375 aircraft carrier landings, 39 combat missions, more than 50 days in space and serving as commander of the Space Shuttle Endeavor’s final mission.

“We are excited to have Mark Kelly as our keynote speaker,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “His outstanding leadership, dedication to teamwork and courage under pressure are truly inspirational.”

Kelly is also a survivor of prostate cancer and has a new children’s book coming out this fall, “Moustronaut: A Partially True Story.” In remarks posted on YouTube, Kelly says AFBF provides an important forum for farm and ranch families. “I’ve certainly learned a lot about community in my life, and I look forward to sharing [my] experiences.”

The 94th annual meeting is expected to attract more than 5,000 Farm Bureau members from across the country to talk about policy for the group through 2013.