IFB honors SIU’s Wes Bland

EAST PEORIA, Ill. — Illinois Farm Bureau has named Wes Bland, of Eldred, the Outstanding Collegiate Farm Bureau Chapter President for the 2025-2026 academic year, recognizing his exceptional leadership and ability to guide sustained growth within the Southern Illinois University Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter.

Wes, a senior at SIU and member of Greene County Farm Bureau, served as chapter president during a year marked by increased engagement, expanded partnerships and intentional leadership development.

The Outstanding Chapter President Award recognizes the top Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter president for their leadership in their chapter and the efforts that they made throughout the year to encourage growth based on the number of members, member engagement and diversity of membership.

As president, Bland emphasized organization and forward planning, leading officer meetings before the academic year began and assigning clear roles aligned with the chapter’s goals.

Under his leadership, the SIU chapter increased paid membership by 9.4%, while participation in statewide IFB events grew significantly, including a 60% increase in attendance at the Illinois Agricultural Association Annual Meeting.

“Being president has been my most fulfilling and joyous experience at SIU,” Bland said.

Beyond measurable growth, he focused on creating a welcoming and engaging chapter culture that encouraged student involvement at all levels.

“Meaningful engagement is something that I greatly value. It’s so rewarding to see students getting involved with Collegiate Farm Bureau and enjoying it,” he said.

Bland also played a critical role behind the scenes, managing large-scale logistics for state events, coordinating funding with multiple county Farm Bureaus and responding to unexpected challenges to ensure students could participate at little or no cost.

According to peer evaluator and fellow officer Gracie Murphy, Bland’s leadership extended far beyond day-to-day responsibilities.

“Wes sees challenges as opportunities, not as excuses to fail,” she wrote in her nomination. “He takes action, he doesn’t just talk. He delegates and keeps everyone informed to allow leadership opportunities for others, not just himself.

“It’s easy to lead when things are going good, but what makes Wes so outstanding is that he shows up and leads when things get tough. Our chapter wouldn’t have been as successful this year without his leadership and guidance.”

In addition to chapter operations, Bland helped expand Ag in the Classroom participation, supported Harvest for All initiatives such as the chapter’s “Fill the Bucket” food drive and strengthened relationships with county Farm Bureaus ultimately creating long-term connections for student members.

Bland will receive an expense-paid trip to the IFB Annual Meeting in December, where he will be formally recognized for his leadership and service.