By Charlie Delacruz, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary
NGFA is pleased to announce the results of the ballot distributed to voting NGFA member companies on Feb. 20 for the election of NGFA’s directors and industry officers and the ratification of amendments to NGFA’s Bylaws, Rail Arbitration Rules and Trade Rules.
The vote by electronic ballot was in lieu of conducting elections and ratification of amendments during a general business meeting of the membership. Ballots were due back by Thursday, Feb. 29. By the deadline, the responses received exceeded the minimum necessary to meet quorum requirements and the number of affirmative votes required to complete the elections and ratify the amendments.
Election of NGFA Officers and Directors
Congratulations to NGFA’s elected industry officers who will serve one-year terms:
- NGFA Chairman: Chris Boerm, president of global transportation at Archer Daniels Midland Co. in Decatur, Ill.
- NGFA First Vice Chairman: Brian Schouvieller, senior vice president of global grain marketing at CHS Inc. in Saint Paul, Minn.
- NGFA Second Vice Chairman: Augusto Bassanini, president and CEO at United Grain Corporation in Vancouver, Wash.
Congratulations to NGFA’s elected directors who will serve three-year terms:
- Jeff Bechard, senior vice president of grain at Central Valley Ag in York, Neb.
- JoAnn Brouillette, managing partner at Demeter LP in Fowler, Ind.
- Patrick Coyle, commercial director of grains and oilseeds North America at COFCO in Chicago, Ill.
- Jim Dell, president and CEO at ALCIVIA in Cottage Grove, Wisc.
- Scott Docherty, general manager of Western Grain Marketing LLC in Rushville, Ill.
- Chris Faust, managing director and country manager at Viserion Grain, LLC in Boulder, Colo.
- Tom Fernandes, director of commodity finance at Grain Service Corporation in Atlanta, Ga.
- Beau Hepler, general manager at Ray-Carroll Grain Growers Inc. in Richmond, Mo.
- Roger Hugenberg, general manager at Ursa Farmers Cooperative Co. in Ursa, Ill.
- Corey Jorgenson, CEO of Shell Rock Soy Processing LLC in Shell Rock, Iowa
- Joe Kapraun, manager of the grain marketing division at GROWMARK Inc. in Bloomington, Ill.
- Bill Krueger, COO of The Andersons Inc. in Overland Park, Kan.
- Ron Seeber, president and CEO of the Kansas Grain and Feed Association in Topeka, Kan.
- Curt Strubhar, chairman at Advance Trading Inc. in Bloomington, Ill.
- Mike Tate, director of origination at Bunge North America Inc. in Chesterfield, Mo.
- Jeff Van Pevenage, president and CEO at Columbia Grain International LLC in Portland, Ore.
Special thanks for the efforts of NGFA’s Nominations Committee: Benjamin Smith, (Nominations Committee Chairman), vice president of grain at Attebury Grain, LLC; Gary Beachner, president and CEO at Beachner Grain Inc.; Jean Bratton, chief executive officer at Centerra Cooperative; Kevin Gray, CEO and general manager at Morrow County Grain Growers Inc.; Jarvis Haugeberg, vice president operations at Form-A-Feed; and Todd Lafferty, co-chief executive officer at Wheeler Brothers Grain Co.
Ratification of Amendments to NGFA’s Bylaws, Rail Arbitration Rules and Trade Rules
The ratified amendments can be found here. Special thanks to NGFA’s Rail Arbitration Rules Committee and Trade Rules Committee for their work on these proposals.