American Soybean Association elects executive committee

Top advocacy priorities for 2025 include farm bill, regulatory issues, tax policy, markets, biofuels and other policy issues.

American Soybean Association

Courtesy of the American Soybean Association

During its annual election meeting in St. Louis, the American Soybean Association Board of Directors voted in the executive committee members who will lead the organization through the coming year’s top advocacy priorities, including farm bill, regulatory issues, tax policy, markets, biofuels and other top policy issues for U.S. soybean farmers.

Caleb Ragland, who previously served as ASA vice president, will serve as 2025 ASA president. Ragland began serving on ASA's board of directors in December 2017. He farms 4,000 acres of soybeans, corn and winter wheat on his Magnolia, Ky., farm.

Immediate past president Josh Gackle from North Dakota moves to the role of ASA chairman. Former chairman Daryl Cates from Illinois rotates off the nine-member executive committee.

The ASA board elected Scott Metzger from Ohio as ASA vice president, a role that puts him in line to serve as the association’s president in 2026.

Additionally, the board elected Dave Walton from Iowa as ASA secretary; Alan Meadows from Tennessee as treasurer; and Heather Feuerstein from Michigan, Tanner Johnson from Wisconsin, Jimmie Lee Shaw from South Carolina and Jordan Scott from South Dakota as at-large members of the executive committee.

ASA celebrated the advocacy of and said farewell to several directors retiring, including Charles Atkinson from Kansas, Ken Boswell from Nebraska, Jeff Harrison from Canada, James Hereford from Alabama, Chris Hill from Minnesota, Jered Hooker from Illinois and Mike Petefish from Minnesota.

ASA welcomed five new directors who begin their nine-year terms, including Teresa Brandenburg from Kansas, Julie Maw from Canada, Geoff Ruth from Nebraska, Bob Worth from Minnesota and Bryan Severs from Illinois.

Source: American Soybean Association