National Corn Growers Association CEO Rick Tolman announces plan to retire

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[March 14, 2014]  On Thursday, National Corn Growers Association President Martin Barbre made the following statement:

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Earlier this week, Rick Tolman shared with the NCGA Corn Board his desire to step down as chief executive officer of NCGA at the end of September.

Rick has been a tireless advocate for corn farmers and our organization. However, Rick told us – as much as he loves representing our way of life – he is ready to enjoy more time with his wife, Linda, and their five children and eight grandchildren, and other pursuits. As he said it, we all put off things until 'someday,' and, for him, 'someday' has finally come, after 14 years of service to the organization and a 37-year career in agriculture.

While we are certainly happy for Rick and his family, it was with great trepidation that we heard the news initially. Change is hard for some to accept. Once we all realized that we could not talk Rick out of his decision, we offered him a hearty thank you for his dedicated service. Rick is definitely riding into the sunset on a high note.

We all want to leave things better than we found them, and Rick can certainly be proud of his legacy at NCGA. As we look forward to the next chapter in professional association management, I want to assure NCGA members, affiliated state organizations and other stakeholders that NCGA has a sound, methodical process and plan in place for an orderly CEO succession. While this year will be one of transition, it will not be one of turmoil. Rick Tolman will be our CEO until Sept. 30.

I will soon be announcing members of a CEO Search Committee, and we'll share additional details as they become available.

—from http://www.ncga.com/
news-and-resources/news-stories/article/
2014/03/tolman-to-retire-as-ncga-
chief-executive-officer

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Rick Tolman biography

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Rick Tolman
NCGA Chief Executive Officer

Rick Tolman serves as chief executive officer of the National Corn Growers Association, a farmer-led trade association with offices in St. Louis and Washington.

Tolman joined NCGA in September 2000. He previously served as executive director for the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products worldwide. In addition, Tolman has served as marketing planning manager for the Advanced Harvesting Systems Group at International Harvester Company, market research analyst for the Gehl Company, an equipment manufacturer, and a graduate research assistant at Purdue University.

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Tolman has chaired the CEO Advisory Committee of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, which he helped found in 2010, and has served on the

USDA Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee for grains and oilseeds. Tolman is a member of the Society of Industrial Leaders and is an expert on agriculture for the Gerson Lehrman Group Councils. He also has served as a guest researcher with the Japan Science and Technology Agency.

Among his many awards, Tolman was recognized as the 2008 Agribusiness Leader of the Year by the National Agri-Marketing Association, and in 2010 received the Agribusiness Leader of the Year award from the St. Louis Agribusiness Club. He also was a proud recipient of Purdue University's Agricultural Alumni Association Certificate of Distinction in 2011, and this year received the Purdue College of Agriculture's Distinguished Agriculture Alumni Award.

Tolman is a graduate of Brigham Young University and received his master's degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University. He and his wife, Linda, have five children and reside in Ballwin, Mo.

Founded in 1957, the National Corn Growers Association represents more than 40,000 dues-paying corn growers and the interests of more than 300,000 farmers who contribute through corn checkoff programs in their states. NCGA and its 48 affiliated state associations and checkoff organizations work together to help protect and advance corn growers' interests.

—from http://www.ncga.com/upload/files/
documents/pdf/rick-tolman.pdf

(Or click here for PDF.)

[Information from the National Corn Growers Association]
 


 

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