March 28, 2024

Indiana Soybean Alliance seeks candidates for 2023 board elections

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Soybean Alliance seeks farmer-leaders to join its 24-member board responsible for investing Indiana’s soybean checkoff funds each year in programs that develop new markets for Indiana soybeans, create value to the state’s soybean growers, engage producers in events and support farmer’s environmental, social and economic sustainability.

The ISA Board of Directors represents approximately 20,000 Indiana soybean farmers who contribute their dollars through the checkoff program, and it manages soybean farmer investments.

Eight board seats are up for election this year. Applications for the 2023 election are due by March 3.

In District 1, Kevin Kelly of Brookston is finishing his first term and Denise Scarborough of LaCrosse is completing her second term.

District 1 includes Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Elkhart, Fulton, Howard, Jasper, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Lake, Marshall, Miami, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Starke, Tipton, Wabash and White counties.

In District 2, the incumbents are C.J. Chalfant of Hartford City, finishing his second term, and Steve Phares of Albion, who is completing his first term.

The counties in District 2 include Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Huntington, Jay, LaGrange, Madison, Noble, Randolph, Steuben, Wayne, Wells and Whitley.

Both incumbents in District 3, Mark Legan of Coatesville and Derika Lynam-Spaetti, are completing their second terms on the board.

District 3 includes the counties of Clay, Daviess, Dubois, Fountain, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Montgomery, Owen, Parke, Pike, Posey, Putnam, Spencer, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Warren and Warrick.

Two new candidates are needed in District 4 because Jim Douglas of Flat Rock and Anngie Steinbarger of Edinburgh will term off.

District 4 counties are Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Decatur, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Ohio, Orange, Perry, Ripley, Rush, Scott, Shelby, Switzerland, Union and Washington.

Each candidate must meet these requirements:

• Has paid into the federal soybean checkoff within the last two years.

• Certify ownership or share ownership and risk of loss of soybeans.

• Completes a director expectation statement and returns it to ISA by March 3.

Go online to www.indianasoybean.com/elections to learn more about serving as an ISA director or to download a director expectation statement. Send an email to Amber Myers at amyers@indianasoybean.com for more details.

The ISA will distribute election ballots to soybean farmers by mail this spring. ISA will announce election results this summer.