U.S. Grains Council Chairman Ron Gray announced this week the members of the organization’s 2014-2015 Advisory Teams (A-Teams).
“My first word to the new Advisory Teams is ‘Thank you,’” Gray said in his announcement. “The Council counts on the A-Teams for a lot. Their expertise, guidance, and leadership make a major contribution to the Council’s work. I appreciate the willingness of the A-Team leaders and members to step up and devote their time and energy to the USGC mission.”
The Council’s A-Teams are realigned each year, with new appointments being announced after the summer annual meeting. The A-Teams then meet over the course of the year, in person at Council meetings and more frequently by conference call, to review strategies and priorities with the Council’s staff.
This year, the Council’s A-Team structure has changed to include an Ethanol A-Team. This team, for which members will be named in the coming weeks, will be designed to give a better focus and more in-depth attention to the Council’s new ethanol export promotion program.
The A-Team leaders for the current year are:
ASIA
Frank Kralicek
South Dakota Corn Utilization Council
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Dean Taylor
Iowa Corn Growers Association
ETHANOL
Raymond Defenbaugh
Big River Resources LLC
MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA
Philip McCoun
Kentucky Corn Promotion Council
TRADE POLICY
Darren Armstrong
Corn Growers Association of North Carolina, Inc.
VALUE-ADDED
Brian Arnold
The DeLong Company Inc.
WESTERN HEMISPHERE
Bill Christ
Illinois Corn Marketing Board
Delegates have been notified by email of their A-Team assignments.