USSEC attended the Soybean States Staff Meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia from April 23-25.  Representatives from leading soybean producing states, together with key stakeholders, engaged in a strategic thinking program led by Rich Horvath.  Mr. Horvath is the CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute and the author of the bestselling book Deep Dive:  The Proven Method for Building Strategy.  Mr. Horvath stressed the importance of strategic thinking as the most valued skill in today’s leaders and discussed the stages and disciplines of strategic thinking as they apply to the U.S. soy industry.

Approximately 100 participants also participated in team building exercises as they toured Colonial Williamsburg, the Charlottesville area, Monticello, and a local winery.  State executives met to examine checkoff, non-checkoff, membership and board issues along with administration and HR topics.  Jim Sutter, USSEC CEO, presented a national staff report.