ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, U.S. — With more than 650 attendees in attendance at the National Grain and Feed Association’s (NGFA) annual meeting members elected leaders to serve on the board of directors.

During the association’s business meeting, the membership elected Eric Wilkey, president of Arizona Grain Co., Casa Grande, Arizona, U.S., as NGFA chairman. They also elected David Baudler, managing director, grain, Cargill Agricultural Supply Chain North America, Cargill, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., as first vice-chairman and JoAnn Brouillette, president of Demeter LP, Fowler, Indiana, U.S., as second vice-chairman.

NGFA
Eric Wilkey

Wilkey is the 67th industry leader to serve as chairman of the NGFA. He joined Arizona Grain in 1991 after beginning his career six years earlier with the Continental Grain Co. From 1996-2006, he was the company’s vice-president and director of merchandising and risk management prior to becoming the company’s top officer in 2006. In addition, he has been a member of the Arizona Grain Research and Promotion Council since 2004, and is a past chair of that organization. An Illinois native, he received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois.

NGFA
David Baudler

David Baudler was elected as first vice-chairman and is responsible for Cargill’s domestic and export grain across the United States, Canada and Mexico. He previously served from 2011-16 as business unit leader and president of Cargill AgHorizons U.S., which was responsible for the company’s farmer-facing grain and crop-input business. He served in numerous positions in the U.S. grain business with Cargill earlier in his career, including the company’s World Trading Unit in Geneva, Switzerland; the Dressings, Sauces and Oils Refining Group within the Food Ingredients Platform; and general manager of the Softseeds and Biodiesel Segment of the company’s Grain and Oilseeds North America Division. He grew up on a southwest Iowa farm, and received his undergraduate degree in agricultural business from Iowa State University.

NGFA
JoAnn Brouillette

JoAnn Brouillette, newly-elected second vice-chairman for NGFA, is president and managing partner of Demeter LP, a privately owned and operated agricultural business for over seven decades in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. Since joining the company in 1986, Brouillette held various merchandising and management positions before assuming her current role in 1996. Brouillette was appointed to the board of trustees for Purdue University in July 2006 and serves on the board of directors and executive committee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. She was awarded the AgriVision Award from the State of Indiana in 2010 and appointed to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiation by President George W. Bush in 2003 and again in 2005. She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Hanover College. Her late father, Donald G. Brouillette, also served from 1984-86 as NGFA’s top elected industry officer.

In addition, NGFA members elected the following persons to serve three-year terms on the organization’s board of directors:

• Keith Bailey, chief operating officer, Highline Grain Growers, Waterville, Washington, U.S.

• Gary Beachner, president and CEO, Beachner Grain Inc., Parsons, Kansas, U.S.

• Greg Beck, vice-president, Grain, CGB Enterprises, Covington, Louisiana, U.S.

• Jean Bratton, CEO, Centerra Co-op, Ashland, Ohio, U.S.

• Sharon Clark, senior vice-president, transportation and regulatory affairs, Perdue Agribusiness LLC, Salisbury, Maryland, U.S.

• Chris Faust, chief operating officer and commercial manager, Grains and Oilseeds USA, COFCO International, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

• Matt Murphy, senior location manager, Lansing Trade Group LLC, Overland Park, Kansas, U.S.

• Chad Nagel, Manager of Trading, Nagel Farm Services Inc., Wye Mills, Maryland, U.S.

• Carl Schwinke, vice-president, grain supply, Siemer Milling Co., Teutopolis, Illinois, U.S.

• Benjamin Smith, managing director, Attebury Grain LLC, Amarillo, Texas, U.S.; and

• Will Waters, principal and vice-president, Harris-Crane, Inc., Clinton, North Carolina, U.S.

Subsequently, the following members of the NGFA board of directors were elected by that body to serve on the NGFA Executive Committee for the coming year:

• Jim Banachowski, vice-president and general manager, The Andersons, Maumee, Ohio, U.S.

• Gary Beachner, president and CEO, Beachner Grain Inc., Parsons, Kansas, U.S.

• Chris Boerm, president, global transportation, Archer Daniels Midland, Decatur, Illinois, U.S.

• Sharon Clark, senior vice president, transportation and regulatory affairs, Perdue Agribusiness LLC, Salisbury, Maryland, U.S.

• John Fletcher, general manager, Central Missouri, U.S., AGRIService LLC, Marshall, Missouri, U.S.

• Roger Fray, executive vice-president, Landus Cooperative, Ralston, Iowa, U.S.

• Matt Gibson, vice-president and general manager, Grain Division, Bunge North America, St. Louis, Missouri. U.S.

• David Hoogmoed, chief operating officer, Purina Animal Nutrition; and executive vice-president, Land O’Lakes Inc., Arden Hills, Minnesota, U.S.

• Diana Klemme, vice-president, Grain Service Corp., Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

• Alan Koenig, chief supply chain officer, Grain Craft, Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.

• Todd Lafferty, Co-CEO and general counsel, Wheeler Brothers Grain Co., Watonga, Oklahoma, U.S.

• Chris Peha, general manager, Northwest Grain Growers, Walla Walla, Washington, U.S.

• Ryan Pellett, president and CEO, J.D. Heiskell & Co., Elkhorn, Nebraska, U.S.

In addition, the following NGFA officers are members of the Executive Committee by virtue of their office:

• Chairman Eric Wilkey

• First Vice-Chairman David Baudler

• Second Vice-Chairman JoAnn Brouillette

• Immediate Past Chairman John Heck, Scoular, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.

• NGFA President Randy Gordon

Subsequently, the executive committee elected John Heck to serve as its chairman.