U.S. Grains Council Board Of Directors Elected During Hybrid Summer Meeting

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) held its 61st Annual Board of Delegates Meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, and virtually on July 30 to conduct the business of the organization and elect a new Board of Directors after two days dedicated to looking at what the future may hold for U.S. ag trade.

Chad Willis, a farmer from Minnesota representing the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council, was elected as chairman.

“I was drawn to the Council because I need dependable markets to sustain my farming operation. But as I’ve served the Council and as I’ve been able to see firsthand by traveling to other countries, it’s a two-way street – to be successful, we need each other,” Willis said in his incoming remarks.

“As we recognize the importance of our grain markets, we must continue to build on our value-added markets for DDGS and ethanol. The value of global trade has so much potential if we work together to access them.”

Willis has been farming since 1997 and has worked in both the corn milling and feed industries. He was a member of the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council before serving on its board. After joining the Council, he served on the Value-Added Advisory Team (A-Team) and was a vocal advocate for creating the Council’s Ethanol A-Team before serving on its Board of Directors and being elected to the Council’s officer rotation.

Brent Boydston of Bayer Crop Science was elected as the Council’s secretary-treasurer. Verity Ulibarri from the United Sorghum Checkoff Program and Jay Fischer from the Missouri Corn Growers Association were elected as at-large directors.

The full USGC Board of Directors is now as follows:

– Chad Willis, Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council –Chairman
– Joshua Miller, Indiana Corn Marketing Council – Vice Chairman
– Brent Boydston, Bayer Crop Science – Secretary-Treasurer
– Jim Raben, Illinois Corn Marketing Board – Past Chairman
– Duane Aistrope, Iowa Corn Promotion Board – At-Large Director
– Don Duvall, Illinois Corn Marketing Board – At-Large Director
– Jay Fischer, Missouri Corn Growers Association – At-Large Director
– Verity Ulibarri, United Sorghum Checkoff Program – At-Large Director
– Greg Hibner, J.D. Heiskell Hawkeye Gold – Agribusiness Sector Director
– Rick Schwarck, Absolute Energy – Agribusiness-Ethanol and Co-Products Sector Director
– Nathan Boll, North Dakota Barley Council – Barley Sector Director
– Mark Wilson, Illinois Corn Marketing Board – Corn Sector Director
– Jim Massey, United Sorghum Checkoff Program – Sorghum Sector Director
– Tadd Nicholson, Ohio Corn Marketing Program, State Checkoff Sector Director
– Ryan LeGrand, U.S. Grains Council – President and CEO

The Board of Delegates is scheduled to reconvene in Greenville, South Carolina, for its annual membership meeting, Feb. 14-16, 2022.

To see more photos from the meeting, visit the Council’s social media.