The Board of Directors for the American Soybean Association announces the confirmation of Mark Berg from Tripp, South Dakota, as the Association's new Chairman, and, Mike Yost from Murdock, Minnesota, as the Association's new President. The Board also elected, Marc Curtis, from Leland, Mississippi, as First Vice President, Dwain Ford, from Kinmundy, Illinois, as Secretary, and Tony Anderson, Mt. Sterling, Ohio, as Treasurer. The Board also elected four Vice Presidents, who are Roy Bardole from Rippey, Iowa, Kim Larson from Willmar, Minnesota, Richard Jameson, Brownsville, Tennessee, and Roger Hadley from Woodburn, Indiana. These nine officers form the Executive Committee for the Association. The election was held on Saturday, July 25, during the Association's scheduled meeting of its Board of Directors.

The new ASA President Mike Yost said, "ASA’s objectives for the coming year are to expand markets both internationally and domestically for soybeans to boast soybean profitability. And at the same time, work to enact policy that will lower the cost of production for U.S. soybean farmers." Yost has been a member of the ASA since 1979. He has served as Chairman of the ASA Public Affairs Committee (1997/98). Yost served as a Board member of the Minnesota State Soybean Association and as State President in 1992. Yost farms soybeans, corn and wheat with his family, Murdock, Minnesota.

Marc Curtis, who will become President of the Association next year, said, "I would like to see ASA become a more active, more aggressive association, and more responsive to the membership and their concerns. I am very enthusiastic about ASA right now. I think we have things going in the right direction. We have the momentum and I’m looking for big things from ASA." Curtis most recently served the ASA as Vice President, and he gained experience through his service at the state level. A member of ASA since 1975, Curtis served as President of the Mississippi Soybean Growers Association in 1995 and 1996, and prior to that, he served as Membership Chairman and Vice President. Curtis operates a soybean, cotton and rice farm, near Leland, Mississippi.

New members on the ASA Board are Bart Waller (GA), David Hand (OH), Craig Kesler (SC), Rick Ostlie (ND), Corwin Fee (IA), Jim Biddle (IL), Lorraine Birschbach (WI), Bart Ruth (NE), Bill Wiley (KS), Carl Weets (TX), Pete Crawford (MI), and Jonathan Quinn (Mid-Atl).

Marc Curtis will chair the ASA Public Affairs Committee with Roy Bardole (IA), Doug Hartz (AR), Bart Ruth (NE), Bill Wiley (KS), Mark Berg (SD), Darryl Brinkmann (IL), Bart Waller (GA), Doug Lindgren (IA), Greg Leonard (OK), David Hand (OH), John Blaska (WI) and Ron Gibson (MO) serving as committee members.

Kim Larson (MN) will chair the ASA Trade Policy and International Affairs Committee with Richard Andrews (VA), Scott Fritz (IN), Gary Langel (IA), Jim Long (KY), Ward Shaw (NC), Gary Hellerich (NE), Craig Kesler (SC), Fletcher Clark (MS), John Andrews (ONT), Dwain Ford (IL), Rick Ostlie (ND) and Corwin Fee (IA) serving on the committee.

Roger Hadley (IN) will chair the ASA Membership Services & Corporate Relations Committee with Richard Jameson (TN), Lavance Herring (LA), Don Louwagie (MN), Merlyn Smeenk (SD), Glen Jannsen (IA), John McClendon (AR), Dennis Friest (IA), Jim Biddle (IL), Lorraine Birschbach (WI), Carl Weets (TX) and Pete Crawford (MI) serving as committee members.

Tony Anderson will chair the ASA Finance and Administrative Services Committee with committee members Ron Heck (IA), Herb Smith (MI), Robert Sublett (AL), Larry Strobel (MO), Jonathan Quinn (Mid-Atl).

ASA is a national, not-for-profit, grassroots membership organization with more than 31,737 members. The Association develops and implements policies to increase the profitability of its members and the entire soybean industry. ASA has affiliate offices in 26 states, and overseas marketing offices in 15 countries.

Soybeans accounted for 24% of all U.S. crop acres planted in 1997, and represented a farm gate value of more than $17.6 billion. The United States produced 47 percent of the world’s soybean production in 1997. The value of U.S. soybean and soy product exports in 1997 exceeded $9.9 billion, making them the #1 U.S. agricultural export.