The Board of Directors of the American Soybean Association (ASA) has confirmed Marc Curtis from Leland, Miss., as President, and Mike Yost from Murdock, Minn., as Chairman. Board members also elected Tony Anderson from Mount Sterling, Ohio, to service as First Vice President, an office that places Anderson in line to be ASA president next year. Also elected were Dwain Ford from Kinmundy, Ill., as Secretary, and Ron Heck from Perry, Iowa, as Treasurer. Four Vice Presidents were also elected: Bart Ruth from Rising City, Neb., Roy Bardole from Rippey, Iowa, Greg Leonard from Afton, Okla., and Roger Hadley from Woodburn, Ind. These soybean producer-leaders form the nine-member ASA Executive Committee. Elections were held during ASA’s summer Board meeting.

"Under the present market conditions, producer profitability has to be our immediate and primary concern," said the new ASA President, Marc Curtis, referring to the current price of soybeans, which is the lowest in 23 years due to world record supplies of soybeans and other oilseed crops. "ASA is presently working in many areas to address low prices, and I feel very confident we will be able to put profitability back into our industry, although it’s going to take some time to do that. The only potential road block I see is if we fail to continue to work together. As president, my goal is to do the best I can to promote unity within our industry."

New First Vice President Tony Anderson said, "I want to encourage all soybean producers to join ASA, and to encourage our members to become active members that are involved in the process. I want the American Soybean Association to be the ‘in’ group, and to invite all the participants around the table to come and bring their ideas forward to help make the U.S. soybean industry even stronger than it is today."

Following the elections, committee assignments were announced. The Public Affairs Committee Chairman is Tony Anderson, with committee members Roy Bardole, Darryl Brinkmann (Ill.), Sonny Fox (Tenn.), Ron Gibson (Mo.), David Hand (Ohio), Doug Hartz (Ark.) Doug Lindgren (Iowa), Bob Metz (S.D.), Bart Waller (Ga.), Carl Weets (Tex.), and Mike Yost.

Dwain Ford was appointed Chairman of the Trade Policy Committee, with Scott Fritz (Ind.), Sub-Chair/European Union, Gary Langel (Iowa), Sub-Chair/Asia, and Bart Ruth Sub-Chair/Latin America. Committee members are Richard Andrews (Va.), John Blaska (Wis.), Corwin Fee (Iowa), Lavanace Herring (La.), Gary Joachim (Minn.), Kim Larson (Minn.), Jim Long (Ky.), John McClendon (Ark.), and Bill Wiley (Kan.).

The Membership Services & Corporate Relations committee Chairman is Roger Hadley, with Jim Biddle (Ill.) Lorraine Birschback (Wisc.), Neal Bredehoeft (Mo.), Pete Crawford (Mich.), Dennis Friest (Iowa), Tom Lassaline (Ont.), Greg Leonard (Okl.), Bob Rikli (Neb.), Merlyn Smeenk (S.D.), and Jonathan Quinn (Mid-Atlantic), serving as committee members.

Ron Heck was appointed Chairman of the Finance & Administrative Services Committee, with Craig Kesler (S.C.), Richard Ostlie (N.D.), Ward Shaw (N.C.), Herb Smith (Mich.), and Robert Sublett (Ala.), serving as committee members.

Six newly appointed members to the Board are Neal Bredehoeft, Sonny Fox, Gary Joachim, Tom Lassaline, Bob Metz, and Bob Rikli.

Retiring from the Board are Larry Strobel (Mo.), Richard Jameson (Tenn.), Don Louwagie (Minn.), John Andrews (Ont.), Mark Berg (S.D.), and Gary Hellerich (Neb.).