The Board of Directors of the American Soybean Association (ASA) has confirmed Ray Gaesser from Corning, Iowa, as its new president.

The group also moved outgoing President Danny Murphy from Canton, Miss., to the position of chairman.

Board members also elected Wade Cowan from Brownfield, Texas, to serve as first vice-president, an office that places Cowan in line to be the association’s president in 2015.

“There are so many issues that face the soybean industry today, and I’m excited to lead this organization in addressing each one of them,” said Gaesser.

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“As we work to see a farm bill enacted, and soybean-friendly policies in place within the trade, transportation, energy and technology arenas, we know that we’ll depend on the consistent involvement and cooperative work between all members of the soy family including our state affiliates, United Soybean Board, United Soybean Export Council and our industry partners, to help fully realize the benefits of those victories.

“As always, ASA remains committed to ensuring the success and profitability of soybean farmers, and I am very proud to be part of that effort.”

Also elected to form ASA’s nine-member executive committee were Secretary Wyatt Whitford of Ernul, N.C., and Richard Wilkins from Greenwood, Del., as treasurer. Bob Worth of Lake Benton, Minn., Ron Moore of Roseville, Ill., Bob Henry of Robinson, Kan., and Kevin Hoyer of West Salem, Wisc., were elected to serve as the association’s four vice-presidents.

Whitford, Moore and Hoyer are new elections to the Executive Committee, while Wilkins, Worth and Henry were reelected to the posts they held in 2013.

Elections were held in St. Louis at ASA’s annual winter board meeting, and the meeting also served as a venue to celebrate the retirements of Kentucky’s Randy Mann, Illinois’ Ron Kindred, Rob Joslin of Ohio and Andy Welden of Michigan from the ASA Board.

Assuming positions on the Board as new members at the meeting were Kentucky’s Gerry Hayden, Ron Moore of Illinois, Jerry Bambauer of Ohio and Michigan’s Matt Stutzman.

The Executive Committee will meet in Iowa next week to finalize plans for 2014 and name appointees to ASA’s various boards, task forces and committees.

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