Indiana Corn Groups Looking for Farmers to Serve on Board of Directors
The Indiana Corn Growers Association and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council are looking for farmers to fill seats on their board of directors who will begin three-year terms later this year. If you’re into policy discussions, ICGA focuses primarily on policy issues facing Indiana corn growers like advocating for the ethanol industry and protecting farmers’ rights. ICMC board members determine the promotional, educational, and research activities funded by the corn checkoff.
Auburn, Indiana farmer, ICGA President and ICMC Treasurer Sarah Delbecq told Hoosier Ag Today, “I’ll go out on a limb and say any farmer in the state will bring something to either one of these boards because both of these boards, regardless of the angle that they’re coming from, are there to advocate for and help advance Indiana corn as a whole. So, really you will be making huge contributions regardless of which route you take.”
Delbecq said that serving on the board is very rewarding, and it allows for opportunities that you may not have had otherwise.
“We’ve had a number of board members on the checkoff side that have been able to go on some international trips related to market development. So, those are great opportunities to get to see places in the world that you might not otherwise ever get to go to.”
She added that on the policy side you will have the opportunity to be in front of your state legislators at the Indiana Statehouse and federal legislators on visits to DC to meet with them on Capitol Hill.
If running for a spot on either board is something that you’d like to learn more about, Delbecq says to reach out to a current board member to ask your questions.
“What’s this all about? What’s the commitment look like? How rewarding will this be? What will be accomplished if I joined this board? Just questions like that I think that anybody who’s interested, if you’re unsure of whether you have the time or what your impact will be, I think picking any board member to talk to you will give you a different perspective.”
Candidates for the Indiana Corn Growers Association board must meet the following eligibility requirements: member of ICGA in good standing; producer of corn as an owner, manager or operator; resident of the district they seek to represent; and current on their ICGA membership dues.
- District 2 includes all of St. Joseph, Elkhart, Starke, Marshall, Pulaski, Fulton, Miami and Wabash counties, and parts of LaPorte and Kosciusko counties.
- District 5 includes all of Grant, Tipton, Hamilton and Madison counties and parts of Boone, Marion, Howard and Blackford counties.
- District 8 includes all of Vermillion, Parke, Vigo, Clay, Owen, Sullivan, Greene, Knox, Daviess, Martin, Gibson, Pike, Dubois, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer and Perry counties and part of Crawford County.
Election applications are due back to ICGA by April 19. Ballots will be mailed to members in mid-July and must be returned by Aug. 16. Winners will begin a three-year term in December.
To run for an ICMC director seat, Indiana corn farmers must be at least 18 years old, a registered Indiana voter and a resident in the appropriate district. All farmers who submit a valid petition by June 30, 2019 will be listed as a candidate on the election ballot. Voting takes place at Purdue Cooperative Extension Service county offices in August 2019.
One seat is open in each of Districts 1, 4 and 7. Two statewide, at-large seats are also open. Here is the breakdown of each district:
- District 1– The counties of Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Starke, Pulaski, Jasper, White, Benton, and Newton.
- District 4 – The counties of Warren, Tippecanoe, Montgomery, Putnam, Owen, Clay, Vigo, Parke, Vermillion, and Fountain.
- District 7 – The counties of Sullivan, Greene, Daviess, Martin, Knox, Dubois, Pike, Gibson, Warrick, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Posey.
Farmers interested in seeking a director position should submit a petition to the ICMC office before June 30, 2019. Farmers can download any necessary forms at www.incorn.org/elections or by calling Chris Weldon at the ICMC office at 1-800-735-0195. Forms are also available at all Purdue County Extension offices.
Newly elected directors will begin a three-year term Oct. 1, 2019. ICMC directors can serve three consecutive full terms or a total of nine consecutive years. For more information about Indiana Corn Marketing Council, visit www.incorn.org.
Source: Indiana Corn Growers Association and Indiana Corn Marketing Council
