Ag Business Council Raises Young Leaders to Board of Directors

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Emma Reynolds (Dairy Farmers of America) and Sam Bormann (Merck Animal Health) succeed outgoing directors Jackie Klippenstein and Bill Vaughan

KANSAS CITY, MO--   The Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City held its annual meeting on December 4, re-electing Chair Ron Seeber and Vice Chair Kristie Larson, and elevating two young leaders in agriculture and animal health to the Board of Directors. Emma Reynolds and Sam Bormann will succeed outgoing directors Jackie Klippenstein and Bill Vaughan.

Seeber serves as CEO of the Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, Kansas Grain and Feed Association, and Renew Kansas Biofuels Association. Larson is the Strategic Relationship Manager at The DeBruce Foundation.

Reynolds is Manager of Dairy Policy and Industry Relation at Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), where she has served the cooperative’s farmer-owners since her career began. She started at DFA as an intern while earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri. Reynolds was raised on a row-crop and beef cattle operation in West-Central Missouri. 

Bormann leads the parasiticides business for the US Commercial Cattle Team at Merck Animal Health, drawing on extensive leadership experience at Merck, and earlier at Virbac and Elanco Animal Health. Bormann is a committed leader in his community, serving on the board of Christ Preparatory Academy and the K-State Olathe Advisory Board.

Klippenstein and Vaughan, the outgoing directors, each served on the Council Board of Directors for six years, and provided indispensable leadership throughout a decade of growth and programmatic success at the Council.

Tom Worth, Division Director at USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), was elected as an ex-officio member of the Board. He will succeed outgoing ex-officio director Jim Staiert, the Associate Administrator of ERS.

The Council’s Board of Directors consists of 20 members serving staggered two-year terms. Incumbent directors re-elected to the board include:

  • Eric Bohl, The Bockorny Group

  • Justin Gilpin, Kansas Wheat

  • JJ Jones, Cultivated Conversations

  • Sarah Kolell, American AgCredit

  • Haley Larson, Kansas State University – Olathe

  • Emily Narverud, Agriculture Future of America

  • James Nygren, Farm Credit Services of America

  • Brad Tolbert, John Deere

The re-elected directors will join incumbent directors continuing in their terms:

  • Davin Althoff, Missouri Farm Bureau

  • Tom Brand, St. Joseph Community Alliance

  • Amber DeWitt, Fulcrum Global Capital

  • Terry Holdren, Kansas Farm Bureau

  • Chelsea Good, Livestock Marketing Association

  • Chris Klenklen, Missouri Department of Agriculture

  • Jackie McClaskey, American Royal

  • Paul Schadegg, Farmers National Company

  • Matt Teagarden, Kansas Livestock Association

  • Robin Wenneker, Wenneker Properties

The Council’s staff leadership remains unchanged, with Erica Venancio serving as Executive Director and Zach Helder as Director of Member Services. 

The Agricultural Business Council represents over 700 members from the food and agribusiness sector. Agribusiness remains a cornerstone of the Kansas City region, driving 8% of the local workforce and 22% of the gross regional product (GRP).