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 The committee is the fifth of several working groups of the
transition made up of subject-matter experts who will advise and
guide the incoming Pritzker-Stratton administration. The Growing
Our Agricultural Economy Committee will be chaired by former
USDA Rural Development state director Colleen Callahan and
former state senator John Sullivan and consist of 22 members.
“Agriculture accounts for one in 17 jobs in Illinois, and JB and
I are committed to supporting farmers across our state,” said
Lieutenant Governor-elect Juliana Stratton. “This committee will
focus on policies that help our agriculture and rural
communities thrive — from investing in farm to market
infrastructure and expanding access to capital for family
farmers to defending agricultural education and growing rural
areas in downstate Illinois.”
GROWING OUR AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Colleen Callahan co-chairs the transition’s Growing Our
Agricultural Economy Committee and is the former state director
for USDA Rural Development in Illinois. During her tenure, she
oversaw a 20% reduction in staffing while still being able to
generate a $1 billion increase in the Illinois loan portfolio.
Prior, Callahan served as the agribusiness director for WMBD in
Peoria, a position she held for 30 years. She was the first
female president of the National Association of Farm
Broadcasting.
John Sullivan co-chairs the transition’s Growing Our
Agricultural Economy Committee and served as state senator of
the 47th district from 2003 to 2016 and as chair of the Senate’s
Agriculture and Conservation committee. In the Senate, he
championed legislation to create jobs, improve industry and
infrastructure, and grow the economy. Before elected office,
Sullivan managed his family-owned auction business that
specialized in farm real estate and machinery.
Scott Bennett, State Senator, Illinois General Assembly
Joni Bucher, President, Illinois Beef Association
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Jerry Costello Jr., State Representative, Illinois General
Assembly
Ben Curtin, Agribusiness Star, Future Farmers of America
Mark de Souza, CEO, Revolution Cannabis
Tim Drea, Secretary-Treasurer, Illinois AFL-CIO
Rich Guebert, President, Illinois Farm Bureau
Scott Halpin, President, Grundy County Farm Bureau
Sonya Harper, State Representative, Illinois General Assembly
Roger Hugenberg, General Manager, Ursa Farmers Cooperative
Kim Kidwell, Dean, University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign's College of Agricultural, Consumer, and
Environmental Sciences
Juan Luciano, President & CEO, Archer Daniels Midland
Ryan McCrady, President, Economic Development Corporation of
Decatur & Macon County
Paul McNamara, CEO, AgReach program at the University of
Illinois
Chris Merrett, Professor and Director, Illinois Institute for
Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University
Glenn Poshard, former president, Southern Illinois University
Craig Ratajczyk, CEO, Illinois Soybean Association
Anton Seals, Executive Director, Grow Greater Englewood
Jennifer Tirey, Executive Director, Illinois Pork Producers
Rodney Weinzierl, Executive Director, Illinois Corn Growers
Association
[Transition Press Team]
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