ASA 2015 Executive Committee at the annual December Board meeting in St. Louis, Mo.

The Board of Directors of the American Soybean Association (ASA) has confirmed Wade Cowan from Brownfield, Texas, as its newest President and moved outgoing President Ray Gaesser from Corning, Iowa, to the position of Chairman. Board members also elected Richard Wilkins, Greenwood, Del., to serve as First Vice President.

“I’m pleased with the team we elected today and I think it’s an important step toward a world class standard as an organization,” Cowan said. “We will work together this year to unify and move agriculture forward.”

First Vice President is an office that places Wilkins in line to be the association’s president in 2016.

“It’s an honor to be selected by your peers and given the opportunity to serve the soybean industry,” Wilkins said. “It will be an endeavor to work hard with the other leadership and address the challenges and opportunities we face as an industry.”

Also elected to form ASA’s nine-member executive committee were Secretary Ron Moore, Ill.; Treasurer Davie Stephens, Ky.; Vice Presidents Kevin Hoyer, Wis.; Bret Davis, Ohio; Joe Steinkamp, Ind. and John Heisdorffer, Iowa.

Gaesser said he looks forward to working with the newly elected leaders this year.

“We have a great team elected for leadership at ASA,” he said. “We’re excited about being proactive and addressing those issues that impact soybean farmers.”

Elections were held in St. Louis at ASA’s annual winter board meeting, and the meeting also served as a venue to celebrate the retirements of Alan Kemper, Jim Andrew, Robert Ross, Dean Campbell, Danny Murphy, Bob Worth and Ron Bunjer.

Assuming positions on the Board as new members at the meeting were Kendall Culp, Ind.; Wayne Fredericks, Iowa; E.L. Reed, Mo.; Brooks Hurst, Mo.; Bill Wykes, Ill.; Willard Jack, Miss.; Monte Peterson, N.D.;  Joel Schreurs, Minn. and George Goblish, Minn.