The Indiana Soybean Alliance board of directors represents soybean farmers in the state who contribute their dollars through the checkoff program. If you grow and sell soybeans, you’re one of 24,000 growers who support ISA.

The ISA board consists of 24 elected directors, six from each of four districts. Two positions in each district are up for election in 2019.

Why should you care? Because the ISA board manages soybean farmer investments. It’s the group that determines where checkoff dollars are spent. For example, does funding go toward marketing, development of new uses, basic research or practical research on current best farming practices?

Dave Blower, director of communications for ISA, says elections will be held in June. Each soybean grower who has sold soybeans will receive a ballot during the election process. Results of the election will be announced in late July.

Become a candidate
Applications for the 2019 election are due by March 8, Blower says. Each candidate must meet these requirements:

• grow soybeans for each of the last two years
• certify ownership or share ownership and risk of soybean loss
• complete a director expectation statement and return it to ISA by March 8

To learn more about serving as an ISA director, or to receive a director expectation statement, call 800-735-0195 or go to indianasoybean.com/elections.

Current board
The state is divided into four districts for purposes of selecting ISA directors. District 1 includes counties in northwest Indiana, and District 2 takes in northeast Indiana. District 3 encompasses southwest Indiana and runs up the west side of the state to include Tippecanoe County. District 4 takes in southeast and part of central Indiana. Refer to the map on ISA’s website.

Besides the 24 elected voting directors, there are 15 ex-officio and other non-voting members, including representatives of government, Purdue University, industry and other state and national commodity organizations.

Here are the current voting members representing each of Indiana’s four districts:

District 1. Nancy Cline, Kirklin; Kendall Culp, Rensselaer; Jeanette Merritt, Peru; Dave Rodibaugh; Rennselaer; Denise Scarborough, LaCrosse; and Joe Tuholski, LaPorte

District 2. C.J. Chalfant, Hartford City; Matthew Chapman, Springport; John Emmert, Ligonier; Elaine Gillis, Dunkirk: Carey McKibben, LaGrange; and Larry Wilkinson, Kimmell

District 3. Kevin Cox, Brazil; Levi Huffman; Lafayette; Mark Legan, Coatesville; Derika Lynam-Spaetti, Evansville; Gary McDaniel, Boonville; and Craig Williams, Oaktown

District 4. Roger Bommer, Brookville; Jim Douglas, Flat Rock; Mike Koehne, Greensburg; Keevin Lemenager, Monrovia; Phil Ramsey, Shelbyville; and Anngie Steinbarger, Edinburgh

Positions up for election this year include seats held by these directors: District 1, Cline and Merritt; District 2; Chapman and Gillis; District 3, Huffman and Williams; and District 4, Koehne and Ramsey. Merritt and Huffman aren’t eligible to run again because they’ve reached term limits. Directors in the other seats can run for re-election if they choose.

Learn more about who makes decisions with your checkoff dollars, Blower suggests. Find more information about ISA and a complete list of ex-officio and other non-voting members on the ISA website.