Ron Estes

Kansas Congressman | Fourth District

Ron Estes is a 5th generation Kansan and serves Kansas’ 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Since being sworn into office in 2017, Congressman Estes has been a leader on passing landmark tax reform, rolling back burdensome regulations and implementing trade agreements with some of Kansas’ biggest trading partners. In Congress, Rep. Estes has defended Wichita’s aviation industry, helped pass a fiveyear Farm Bill to support Kansas agriculture, protected the 4th District’s water supply and quality of life, and led efforts to secure new pro-life guidelines for the Title X Family Planning Program.

Prior to becoming an elected official, Rep. Estes grew up on his family farm in Kansas and went on to earn a degree in civil engineering and a graduate degree in business administration.

Cortney Cowley

Senior Economist | Federal Reserve Bank of KC

Cortney Cowley is a senior economist in the Regional Affairs Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. She also serves as a special advisor on the agricultural economy to Federal Reserve Governor Miki Bowman.

Cortney’s current research focuses on agricultural finance, commodity markets, farm management, and natural resource economics and policy. Her responsibilities also include writing for the Tenth District Survey of Agricultural Credit Conditions and Agricultural Finance Updates.

Cortney joined the Bank in 2015 after completing her Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University. She holds a B.S. degree in Biosystems Engineering from Oklahoma State and a M.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University.