Two new Hoosier farmers have taken a seat at the board table for the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA). Steve Phares of Albion, Ind., and Kevin Kelley of Brookston, Ind., joined six incumbents elected to the ISA board.
ISA is also welcoming two new non-voting members in 2021. Purdue professor Dr. Bernie Engel replaces the retiring Dr. Marshall Martin as the board’s liaison from Purdue. And, John O’Donnell, ADM Commercial Manager with the Frankfort Oilseed Processing plant, was added as an additional ex-officio member.
Phares takes the position left by John Emmert, who passed away on Nov. 26, 2020, in ISA District 2. Emmert had planned to retire from the ISA board this year. C.J. Chalfant of Hartford City, Ind. was re-elected as a District 2 representative. The counties in District 2 include Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Huntington, Jay, LaGrange, Madison, Noble, Randolph, Steuben, Wayne, Wells and Whitley.
The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) seeks candidates for an open seat on the United Soybean Board (USB). Interested soybean farmers must submit an application to ISA by Feb. 28.
Comprised of 78 volunteer farmer-directors, the USB oversees the investments of the national soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. All USB directors serve three-year terms. Four directors represent Indiana on the USB board.
Mark Seib, a soybean farmer from Poseyville, Ind., will complete his third and final term on the USB. Seib was first appointed to the USB board in 2012. Prior to that, he served on the ISA board as a farmer-director and as president and vice-president. The other Indiana members on the USB board include Tom Griffiths, Kendallville, Ind.; Kevin Wilson, Walton, Ind.; and Don Wyss, Fort Wayne, Ind.