NSP Board Elects Officers, Welcomes New Directors

NSP Board Elects Officers, Welcomes New Directors

LUBBOCK, Texas — The National Sorghum Producers board of directors elected officers and appointed two new individuals to the board last week during its annual August board meeting.

Both NSP board chairman J.B. Stewart of Keyes, Okla., and vice chairman James Born of Booker, Texas, were reappointed to their officer positions for the 2015 fiscal year.

New directors appointed to the board include Dan Atkisson, of Stockton, Kan., and Larry Dahlsten, of Lindsborg, Kan. Both Atkisson and Dahlsten will serve three-year terms beginning with fiscal year 2015.

Another new member to the board is Mike Battin of Chromatin Inc. who assumes Greg Krissek’s seat on the NSP board and will serve the remainder of his three-year term that expires September 2016. Krissek, who served on the NSP board for two and a half years as an industry representative, resigned from his board seat this spring when he accepted his current position as CEO of the Kansas Corn Growers Association and the Kansas Corn Commission.

“These three gentlemen bring a wealth of leadership and knowledge to the NSP board of directors,” J.B. Stewart said. “We welcome them and look forward to their help moving the sorghum industry forward.”

Atkisson is a farmer and rancher in northwest Kansas and grows 500 acres of sorghum. He is an active member of many other boards in his state and region and was a member of Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership Class XI. Atkisson said looks forward to bringing producer energy to the board and feels it is a critical component to future momentum during this pivotal stage in the sorghum industry.

Dahlsten is a sorghum producer from central Kansas, farming 100 to 200 acres of sorghum annually. Dahlsten is an active member of his community, region and state and plans to utilize those experiences in his new role on the NSP board. He enjoys agriculture and the challenges and opportunities it presents and looks forward to the opportunity to serve and advance the sorghum industry.

Battin is the national sales director at Chromatin and Sorghum Partners, a grain, forage and sweet sorghum seed company. Battin provides 20 years of agriculture sales and management experience and is keenly aware of the issues that affect growers’ decisions on the farm.

The NSP board of directors also says goodbye to two long-standing leaders in the sorghum industry. Gerald Simonsen farms near Ruskin, Neb., and served on the NSP board from 2000-2014. Simonsen served as chair, vice chair and past chair, among many other responsibilities, during his time on the NSP board. David Thomas, who served as an industry representative working for Chromatin and Sorghum Partners, served on the board from 2008-2014. Likewise, Thomas had served many roles on the NSP board.

“What Gerald and David brought to the table was certainly unique and special to NSP and the sorghum industry,” Stewart said. “They will be missed even with the quality of candidates we have to replace them. We wish them the best in their future endeavors and know their contributions will have lasting impacts on the sorghum industry.”

Changes to the NSP board of directors are effective October 1, 2014.

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NSP represents U.S. sorghum producers and serves as the voice of the sorghum industry coast to coast through legislative representation, regulatory representation and education. To learn more about NSP, visit www.sorghumgrowers.com.