SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council recently elected officers and seated three new board members.
Matt Duncan was elected vice chairman of the NREC Executive Committee and serves along with Jeff Kirwan, chairman; Don Guinnip, treasurer; and Chuck Cawley, secretary.
Scott Lagger joined the board last summer as the Certified Crop Adviser representative and replaced Tom Kelley, whose terms limits had been met.
Lagger currently is in agronomic sales at CHS Elburn and is past chairman of the Illinois Certified Crop Advisers organization.
Tim Laatsch also joined the board last summer to replace Ed Corrigan whose term limits also had been met.
Laatsch is the director of agronomy, North America for Koch Agronomic Services. His background includes being a farmer, scientist and educator. Laatsch operates out of his Altamont location.
Ronaldo Maghirang of the University of Illinois was appointed to replace German Bolero who was recently named as interim dean for the U of I College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
“All three retiring gentlemen have been great assets to the organization, bringing their various expertise and perspectives to the table. We thank them for their service to NREC,” Kirwan said.
The Illinois NREC was created by state statute in 2012. Funded by a 75-cent per ton assessment on bulk fertilizer sold in Illinois, NREC provides financial support for nutrient research and education programs to ensure the discovery and adoption of practices that address environmental concerns, optimize nutrient use efficiency and ensure soil fertility.
A 13-member NREC Council annually solicits, reviews and funds projects that fulfill the organization’s mission.