Board of Directors
The U.S. Soybean Export Council’s Board of Directors is comprised of 16 members.
Four members are from the American Soybean Association (ASA), four members are from the United Soybean Board (USB), and eight seats represent trade, allied industry, and state organizations.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Janna Fritz
CHAIR
American Soybean Association
Bad Axe, Michigan
Janna and her husband, Joel, produce soybeans, corn, wheat, triticale and dry edible beans on their sixth-generation family farm in Michigan. In addition, she serves as president of DF Seeds. Prior to this role, Janna was the CEO of the Michigan Soybean Committee and the Michigan Soybean Association. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University in Agriculture & Natural Resources Communications and a master’s degree from Concordia University in Organizational Leadership. She has served on various boards and committees within organizations including the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, Michigan Farm Bureau, the U.S. Grains Council, Michigan FFA Foundation and the Michigan Corn Growers Association.
Mike McCranie
VICE CHAIR
United Soybean Board
Claremont, South Dakota
Mike McCranie is a fourth-generation farmer growing soybeans and corn near Claremont, South Dakota. He farms with his wife, Monica, and their sons, Matthew and Mitchell. They incorporate sustainable practices that help improve the land. He plans to pass it to the next generation better than he received it. This is Mike’s sixth year on the United Soybean Board and serves on the Demand Action Team. Mike is very active in his community. He has been a member of the South Dakota Soybean Association, American Soybean Association, South Dakota Corn Growers Association, Farmers Union and Farm Bureau. Along with many agriculturally related organizations, Mike also serves his local church.
Roberta Simpson-Dolbeare
SECOND VICE CHAIR
American Soybean Association
Nebo, Illinois
Roberta Simpson- Dolbeare farms with her husband, Eric, and son-in-law, Drew Simonsen. She also owns a small retail store, Brookside Marketplace. Roberta earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism/mass communications from Iowa State University, and she is a graduate of the Illinois Ag Leadership Foundation. Roberta is Emeritus Past Chair of the American Soybean Association’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) committee, which she has served on since 2016. She is involved with the Pike and Calhoun County Farm Bureaus, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and is a past chair of her local school and hospital boards. Roberta and Eric have two children and four grandchildren.
Scott Gaffner
SECRETARY
Illinois Soybean Association
Greenville, Illinois
Scott Gaffner, from Greenville, Illinois, is an At-Large Director of the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) and serves on both the Market Development and Governance Committees. He raises soybeans, corn and wheat on his family’s centennial farm. Scott also represents ISA at the Soy Innovation Center and serves on the Executive Committees of the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) and the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH).
He earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice through studies at Lincoln Christian University, Greenville University and Western Illinois University. Scott retired as a lieutenant after nearly 30 years of service with the Illinois State Police. He has also owned and operated several small businesses, including a Scooter’s Coffee franchise, an internet service provider and a security company. Additionally, he served as an adjunct professor at Greenville University. Scott and his wife, Jamie, have two sons. Caleb is a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Bliss, and Cody is a product engineer in remanufacturing with Caterpillar.
Craig Pietig
TREASURER
Ag Processing, Inc.
Omaha, Nebraska
Craig Pietig is Vice President, Ag Products, at Ag Processing Inc. (AGP), where he has worked for 18 years. After graduating from Iowa State University, Craig worked at various plant locations buying soybeans and selling soybean meal prior to moving to Omaha. In his current role, Craig focuses on exporting grain, soybean meal and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) through the Port of Grays Harbor into Southeast Asia.
BOARD
Tim Bardole
BOARD DIRECTOR - U.S. SOYBEAN EXPORT COUNCIL
United Soybean Board
Rippey, Iowa
Tim Bardole farms with his wife, Lori, and three children — Schyler, Cassie and Quill. Schyler’s wife Lauren and their children, Adam, Luke and Adalaide, also work on the farm, along with Tim’s dad, Roy, and brother Pete. They have a no-till, strip-till soybean and corn row crop operation. The Bardole family also has two 2,500-pig finisher barns and a 4,800 head pig nursery. In addition, they do custom spraying, Y-dropping and cover crops, along with custom strip-tilling and drilling. Tim’s family also sells Champion Seed, Outback Guidance products and Montag carts. This is Tim’s fifth year on the United Soybean Board. He serves on the Demand Work Group in the Export Priority Area.
Clayton Charles
BOARD DIRECTOR - U.S. SOYBEAN EXPORT COUNCIL
FS Grain LLC
Morris, Illinois
Clayton Charles is in year 15 in the grain industry in a variety of trading roles. After graduating from Illinois State University in 2010, Clayton served in a variety of trading roles across the country with COFCO, Lansing Trade Group, Interstate Commodities and The Andersons. Currently, he serves as the Senior Merchandiser at FS Grain working directly and indirectly with the export market and has spent time traveling across the globe handling a variety of different products from the United States. He previously sat on the Weights & Grades Committee of the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and was a member of their Commodity Assistance Program. Clayton is a former board member of a local Lutheran church and a member of the Young Ag Leaders of Illinois. Clayton resides in East Central Illinois with his wife and four kids.
Joe Dierickx
BOARD DIRECTOR - U.S. SOYBEAN EXPORT COUNCIL
Iowa Farm Bureau
DeWitt, Iowa
Joe Dierickx serves as the District 6 Director for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness with a minor in Economics from Iowa State University, graduating in 1982. After completing his education, Joe returned to the family farm, where he managed a farrow-to-finish hog operation and grew row crops, including corn and soybeans, from 1983 to 2000. Since 2000, he has expanded his row crop operations and transitioned out of the pork business.
In addition to his agricultural work, Joe has demonstrated leadership in his community, serving in various roles within his church and spending 18 years on the Board of Directors for a local telephone company. His interest in agricultural policy led him to join the Farm Bureau, where he became deeply engaged in understanding the impact of government policies on agriculture. Currently, Joe serves on the state Board of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, where he also acts as the liaison to the Iowa Soybean Association and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC).
Bobby Ewalt
BOARD DIRECTOR - U.S. SOYBEAN EXPORT COUNCIL
Bunge North America, Inc
St. Louis, Missouri
Bobby Ewalt is a Sr. Director of Trading Soy Meal and Crush North America for Bunge based out of their corporate headquarters in Saint Louis, MO. Over the past 18 years Bobby has worked in various roles throughout the North America soybean and canola oilseed processing divisions. Bobby has strong connectivity to the global oilseeds market and has worked closely with USSEC’s staff and committees over his career at Bunge. He most recently served as the co-chair on the Sustainability and Market Access Sustainability Strategic Utilization Team while previously being elected to co-chair for the Animal and Aquaculture Strategic Utilization Team. Bobby has also served as a board member on the National Oilseed Processor Association for the past three years. As the North America crushing industry grows and the need for global export market access increases, Bobby’s goal is to take an even more active role in the development of these markets. Bobby lives with his wife in Saint Louis, MO.
Tony Hill
BOARD DIRECTOR - U.S. SOYBEAN EXPORT COUNCIL
ADM
Decatur, Illinois
Tony Hill joined ADM after graduating from Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville in 2008 with a degree in business administration. He has spent the past 17 years working throughout many ADM locations and in a variety of merchandising, commercial management and risk management roles. He currently serves as ADM’s Trade Director of U.S. Bulk Soybean Exports. Tony lives in Forsyth, Illinois, with his wife, Megan, and their three children, Harrison, Riley and Caroline. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, golfing and coaching little league baseball.
Mike Koehne
BOARD DIRECTOR - U.S. SOYBEAN EXPORT COUNCIL
American Soybean Association
Greensburg, Indiana
Mike is a first-generation farmer in southeast Indiana. He and his wife, Jill, farm with their children, Rebecca, Luke, Logan and Caroline. They raise market-specific crops, including high oleic soybeans and soy food beans shipped by container to Japan and Taiwan. They grow corn for dry millers in Japan and for the Kentucky bourbon market. They also raise cattle and grow hay. The Koehne family currently owns a farm drainage business, which they have operated for nearly 20 years. Previously, they owned and operated a trucking company that hauled livestock for 19 years. Mike is also involved in the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Land Improvement Contractors Association.
Randy Miller
BOARD DIRECTOR - U.S. SOYBEAN EXPORT COUNCIL
American Soybean Association
Lacona, Iowa
Randy Miller farms with his wife, Sheila, and their two children. They raise soybeans and corn, produce custom-feed nursery pigs, and run a cow-calf operation in central Iowa. Randy has been farming for nearly 30 years and plants cover crops to promote soil health, as well as using many other conservation practices. He values the connections made by exporting soybeans to various trading partners. In addition to serving with USSEC, Randy is a board member for the Iowa Soybean Association, the Warren County Fair Board and Indianola First Assembly Church. He is a past South-Central Co-Op Board member and county 4-H Youth Council leader.
Cindy Pulskamp
BOARD DIRECTOR - U.S. SOYBEAN EXPORT COUNCIL
United Soybean Board
Hillsboro, North Dakota
Cindy Pulskamp grows soybeans, wheat and sugar beets in North Dakota. She farms full-time with her husband, Neal, on the family farm, which is more than 100 years old. They have farmed together for more than 20 years. Cindy has a background in fertilizer and seed sales administration. She worked in the agriculture industry for many years before farming. Cindy holds a master’s degree in management, a bachelor's degree in business administration and an associate degree in accounting. Now in her fourth year with the United Soybean Board, she serves on the Demand Work Group in the Innovation and Technology priority area.
Joel Schreurs
BOARD DIRECTOR - U.S. SOYBEAN EXPORT COUNCIL
Minnesota Soybean Growers Association
Tyler, Minnesota
Joel Schreurs farms near Tyler in southwestern Minnesota. Over the years, his family has raised hogs, cattle, sheep, corn, soybeans and alfalfa. As their farming operation has grown, it has evolved into a grain operation, raising soybeans and corn. Like many Midwest farmers, Joel and his family work hard to protect and preserve the land they farm while providing a safe, quality product for their customers. Joel keeps in mind that consumers like to know where their food comes from—both in the U.S. and abroad—and that farms work responsibly to conserve the land. In addition to his role with USSEC, Joel serves as director for the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association. Prior to his position as an Allied Sub-Class director, Joel represented the American Soybean Association on the USSEC board.
Scott Sinner
BOARD DIRECTOR - U.S. SOYBEAN EXPORT COUNCIL
SB&B Foods
Fargo, North Dakota
Scott Sinner is a Partner/Owner and the Vice President of Supply Chain for SB&B Foods, LLC, overseeing the contracted food grade soybean production in the Upper Midwest. Since joining in 2003, he has played a pivotal role in managing the company’s proprietary genetics program as well as supporting the food soybean sales team. An active member in both the agricultural and local communities, Scott serves on the Agronomy Action Team for the Specialty Soya & Grains Alliance. His community leadership includes serving on the Board of the Sinner Bresnahan Healthy Kids Initiative, the Board of Directors for the Moorhead Country Club and National Education Foundation Board of Directors for Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. Scott resides in Fargo, ND, with his wife Stephanie.
Reggie Strickland
BOARD DIRECTOR - U.S. SOYBEAN EXPORT COUNCIL
United Soybean Board
Mount Olive, North Carolina
Reggie Strickland farms with his wife, Laura, their daughter, Savannah, and his father, Garrett. Their diversified farm produces soybeans, corn, pigs, turkeys, pickling cucumbers, sweet potatoes and flue-cured tobacco. A seventh-generation farmer, Reggie holds a degree in agribusiness management from North Carolina State University, and he worked with the Agricultural Business Management Department at the university seasonally for 10 years before transitioning to full-time farming. In addition to their daughter, he and Laura have a son, Grayson. This is Reggie’s sixth year on the United Soybean Board. He serves on the Demand Work Group in the Innovation and Technology Priority Area.