Missouri Corn Announces New Leadership

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.)–With this season’s corn harvest coming to a close, the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council (MCMC) and the Missouri Corn Growers Association (MCGA) are kicking off a new fiscal year with new leadership and a new board member.

The election of the 2012-13 MCMC officer team took place during an August board meeting held in St. Charles, Mo. The following MCMC leaders assumed their new roles Oct. 1:

Chairman	Jim Stuever	Dexter, Mo.	District 7
Vice Chairman	Morris Heitman	Mound City, Mo.	District 1
Secretary	Mike Moreland	Harrisonville, Mo.	District 4
Treasurer	Gary Porter	Mercer, Mo.	District 2

 

Also elected in August, the 2012-13 MCGA officers are:

President	Rob Korff	Norborne, Mo.	District 2
Vice President	Kevin Hurst	Tarkio, Mo.	District 1
Secretary/Treasurer	Kyle Kirby	Liberal, Mo.	District 4

  

New MCMC board member Scott Hays of Monroe City, Mo., was recently elected by growers in District 3 and assumed his new role Oct. 1. Hays will be nominated to the MCGA board at the organization’s annual meeting in February. Hays fills the seat previously held by Mark Goldinger of Hannibal, Mo.

Several Missouri Corn grower-leaders have been appointed to serve on National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) action teams and committees. Kevin Hurst has been reappointed to the Ethanol and NASCAR Committees; Billy Thiel will again serve on the Corn PAC; Jim Stuever was renamed to the Trade and Biotechnology Action Team; Kyle Kirby was appointed to the Production and Stewardship Action Team; Morris Heitman will rejoin the Public Policy Action Team; Mark Scott of Wentzville, Mo., will serve on the Grower Services Action Team; Jay Schutte of Benton City, Mo., was named to the Research and Business Development Action Team; and Mark White, Missouri Corn senior vice president of research, will serve on the Production and Stewardship Action Team and Mycotoxin Task Force. Additionally, Mike Geske of Matthews, Mo., is currently a director on the National Corn Board and will serve as the liaison to the National Pork Producers Council and U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. He will continue his work with the Missouri Corn board as an ex-officio member.

MCMC is also a longstanding partner with the U.S. Grains Council in working to enhance commodity values through strong international exports. Representing Missouri corn farmers on the U.S. Grains Council are: Gary Porter, Rest of the World Programs; Morris Heitman, Value-Added; Missouri Corn Vice President of Operations and Grower Services Gary Wheeler, Asia Programs; and Jim Stuever, who will serve as chairman of the Biotechnology Advisory Team.

The MCMC board of directors is comprised of 14 corn growers elected from across the state. This volunteer board was formed in 1984 with the passage of a corn checkoff and is dedicated to market development, research and education. MCGA is a grassroots organization of more than 2,300 members dedicated to increasing the profitability of corn production through sound policies, continued market development and strong involvement in the political process. To learn more, visit www.mocorn.org.