USDA Announces Appointments to the United Soybean Board

Date
February 02, 2026

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the appointment of forty-two members and four alternates to serve on the United Soybean Board. All forty-two members and four alternate members will serve three-year terms beginning immediately.

Newly appointed members are:

  •  Arkansas
    • Brad Doyle, Weiner
  • Delaware
    • Tim Rogers, Frankford
  • Illinois
    • David R. Wessel, Chandlerville
    • Robert J. Shaffer, El Paso
  • Indiana
    • Don Wyss, Fort Wayne
    • Matthew Chapman, Springport
  • Iowa     
    • Robb Ewoldt, Davenport
  • Kansas    
    • Keith Miller, Great Bend
    • Gary Robbins, Emmett
  • Kentucky    
    • Barry Alexander, Cadiz
  • Louisiana
    • Joey Boudreaux, Port Barre
  • Maryland
    • Travis Hutchison, Cordova
  • Michigan
    • Edward J. Cagney, Scotts
    • Dennis J. Gardner, Croswell
  • Minnesota
    • Tom Frisch, Dumont
    • Joel Schreurs, Tyler
  • Mississippi
    • Jerry Slocum, Coldwater
    • Matthew N. Guedon, Natchez
  • Missouri
    • Tim Gottman, Monroe City
    • Aaron Porter, Dexter
  • Nebraska
    • Victor Bohuslavsky, Seward
    • Cale Buhr, Inland
  • New Jersey
    • Patrick Giberson, Pemberton
  • New York
    • Jason Swede, Piffard
    • Todd O. Du Mond, Auburn
  • North Carolina
    • Reginald H. Strickland, Mount Olive
  • North Dakota
    • Matt Gast, Fargo
    • Rob Rose, Wimbledon
  • Ohio
    • Charles William Bayliss, Mansfield
    • Jerry Bambauer, Bremen
  • Oklahoma
    • Brent Rendel, Miami
  • Pennsylvania
    • Andrew J. Fabin, Homer City
  • South Dakota
    • Dave Poppens, Lennox
    • Michael McCranie, Claremont
  • Tennessee
    • Ed Sanders, Franklin
    • Brad Cochran, Humboldt
  • Virginia
    • Lynn P. Gayle, Onancock
  • Wisconsin
    • Anthony C. Mellenthin, Eau Galle
    • Andy Bensend, Dallas
    • Danny Brisky, Columbus
  • Eastern Region
    • Nick Kercheval, Harpers Ferry, W.Va.
  • Western Region
    • Ross Watermann, Vona, Colo.

Newly appointed alternates are:

  • Delaware
    • Bob Willoughby, Jr, Middletown
  • New Jersey
    • Murn Myers, Delanco
  • Eastern Region
    • Mark H. Kable, Charles Town, W.Va.
  • Western Region
    • Rod Hahn, Yuma, Colo.

The United Soybean Board has 77 members representing 29 states and the Eastern and Western regions. Each year, the Secretary of Agriculture appoints approximately one-third of all board members for 3-year terms.  Nominees must be nominated by a Qualified State Soybean Board.

More information about the board is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) webpage at https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/research-promotion/soybean and on the United Soybean Board website, https://unitedsoybean.org/.

Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of twenty-two boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.