WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S. — Greg Hibner, president of J.D. Heiskell & Company’s Hawkeye Gold division, has been selected to represent the agribusiness sector on the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) board of directors.

“We are pleased that Greg has accepted this leadership role within the council,” said USGC Chairman Alan Tiemann. “He has both experience with membership organizations and a wealth of expertise in farming, commodity trading and marketing to help him provide us with valuable insights during his tenure on the board.”

Hibner has nearly 30 years of commodity processing, international trading and ethanol experience. In his current role, he oversees the operations of J.D. Heiskell & Company’s Hawkeye Gold division, which markets and trades distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) domestically and internationally. Hawkeye Gold also provides support for Gold Star Feed and Grain, a group of four dairy feed mills in the Northeast owned by J.D. Heiskell.

He previously spent 23 years working in Tate & Lyle’s commodity division, serving most recently as manager of co-product sales and trading.

Hibner is also active in agriculture with land across Illinois, Iowa and Arkansas producing corn, sorghum, soybeans, wheat and irrigated cotton and previously helped found a 2,000-head cattle feeding operation that primarily fed corn co-products.

“Greg’s appointment to our board will be invaluable towards helping us anticipate and meet the agribusiness sector’s needs,” Tiemann said. “His deep experience with the Council and other agriculture industry organizations will offer us a unique perspective on challenges and opportunities our members face in the international marketplace.”

Hibner’s appointment to the council's board follows more than 20 years of active membership in industry trade associations including the council, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Growth Energy and the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA).

“In my career, I’ve marketed corn gluten feed to Europe, corn gluten meal to South America and Southeast Asia and DDGS globally,” Hibner said. “International trade will always include both opportunities and obstacles, disputes and challenges. As a longtime member of the Council and a new board member, I am enthusiastic about addressing all of these through pursuit of the organization’s mission to develop markets, enable trade and improve lives.”

Hibner replaces Steve Brody, who represented DuPont Pioneer as a USGC delegate, and will serve a term until July 2017.

Hibner’s role as the leader of the Council’s Value-Added Advisory Team (A-Team) has been taken up by Sean Broderick from CHS, Inc.