Ruhland
After an intensive search by a farmer-led team, the United Soybean Board (USB) has named Polly Ruhland as the new chief executive officer (CEO) effective November 1, 2017.
“Polly exceeded all of the attributes for what we as a board were looking for in a new CEO to lead us into the future,” says John Motter, USB chair and soybean farmer from Jenera, Ohio.
“Polly brings a platform of experience and expertise that parallels the opportunities and challenges facing the soy industry – building demand in domestic and global markets, creating consensus throughout the commodity supply chain, solidifying partnerships with national and state organizations and being an industry catalyst. I am confident that under her leadership, the soy checkoff will accelerate our vision of advancing Innovation Beyond the Bushel,” he added.
Ruhland has provided executive management expertise to the agriculture community for many years. She brings an extensive background in agricultural non-profit management, strategic planning, communications and regulatory compliance to her position serving the directors of USB and the larger soybean community. She currently serves as CEO at Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board. She graduated from Colorado State University with a Master’s Degree in Agriculture and the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Communications. She also did post-graduate work at the Ph.D. level in agriculture and rural sociology with an emphasis on grower decision making in cooperative structures. She has served as the chairman of the Commodity CEO Roundtable, a group of CEOs in research, promotion, and marketing programs. She is an Eisenhower Fellow, a certified mediator, and holds a professional certificate in the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts.
In accepting the position, Ruhland said, “USB’s innovation and agriculture industry leadership attracted me to this opportunity. I am looking forward to working alongside farmer leaders and organizational partners to take USB into a bright future.”
USB remains focused on improving farmer profit opportunities through continuous improvement in meal, oil, and sustainability by leveraging checkoff resources through strategic partnerships.
John Becherer, the current USB CEO, served USB for the last 23 years and positioned the checkoff for even greater successes in the future. John will work with USB to support the transition and the incoming CEO until his retirement at the end of the year.
USB’s 73 farmer-directors work on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers to achieve maximum value for their soy checkoff investments. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds in programs and partnerships to drive soybean innovation beyond the bushel and increase preference for U.S. soy. That preference is based on U.S. soybean meal and oil quality and the sustainability of U.S. soybean farmers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.
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