New directors elected 

at MSA’s annual meeting

FRANKENMUTH, Mich. — Two new directors and one returning director were elected to the Michigan Soybean Assoc. (MSA) board at the 41st annual meeting of members. 

In District 2, Andy Welden of Jonesville tenured off the board, and newly elected director Gary Parr of Charlotte takes over the reins in this District. Gary operates a 900-acre cash-crop farm and is co-owner of PM Precision Planting Services. He wishes to serve the MSA by promoting the advancement of soybean production and to increase MSA membership at the local level.

In District 5, Dan Keenan won the election. Dan, from Merrill, begins his second three-year term on the board. He farms 800 acres raising soybeans and corn.

He wants to continue to do his part to assure the soybean industry continues to prosper and grow, and to give back to the industry that plays a large role in providing him a living.

For the At-Large position, Heather Feuerstein of Ionia was elected to her first term on the board. She previously was selected to participate in the American Soybean Association/DuPont Young Leader program and has been involved with promoting soybeans ever since.

She feels it is important that people understand how agriculture affects their everyday lives and, as a director, hopes to increase public awareness of farming and to support farmers’ political interests in Lansing and beyond.

Progressive Agriculture 

Foundation names first CEO

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For two decades, Susan Reynolds-Porter has dedicated herself to advancing the Progressive Agriculture Foundation (PAF) mission of providing education and training to make farm, ranch and rural life safer and healthier. She has now been named the organization’s first CEO.

Early in her career, she served for 15 years as a food and nutrition specialist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, followed by three years as the food editor for Southern Living. She eventually moved on to guide PAF as the executive director of programs in 2002 and has been serving as the foundation’s interim CEO since March 2014.

Reynolds-Porter holds a master’s degree in food science with an emphasis in communication from the University of Tennessee.

NUTRIQUEST adds director 

of poultry technology

MASON CITY, Iowa — Chet Wiernusz has joined NUTRIQUEST as director of poultry technology. Wiernusz will be responsible for leading the research and technical support functions for NUTRIQUEST in the poultry sector with an initial focus on expanding NUTRIQUEST poultry research capabilities. 

Prior to joining NUTRIQUEST, Wiernusz served 18 years with Cobb-Vantress, Inc. most recently as director of world feed milling and nutrition. Wiernusz graduated with master’s and doctoral degrees in animal nutrition from Oklahoma State University.