Leadership team

Jay Debertin is president and chief executive officer of CHS, the nation’s leading farmer-owned cooperative and an agronomy, global energy, grains and food company.

In 2017, Debertin was named president and CEO following 33 years of leadership roles across the company. He has been with the cooperative since 1984.

Since becoming president and CEO of CHS, Debertin has driven the strategy to strengthen the company through advancing operational excellence, strengthening the company’s financial performance and building a team to grow the company’s core businesses to create connections that empower agriculture. Debertin previously held the positions of executive vice president and chief operating officer for CHS Energy and Processing and Food Ingredients.

In his role as president and CEO, Debertin leads a $31.9 billion company that provides end-to-end products and leverages the strength of the company’s supply chain to support the nation’s farmers and cooperatives.

Working for CHS was, in part, a coming home for Debertin. He grew up in the heart of the Red River Valley in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, in a community surrounded by agriculture and a strong cooperative system.

Debertin holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Debertin serves as chairman of the board for Ventura Foods, LLC, a joint venture of which CHS is part owner. He also sits on the boards of Securian Financial and Visitation High School. He has previously served as chairman of the National Cooperative Refinery Association and as a board member for Horizon Milling and the Minnesota Opera. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and three daughters.

David Black is senior vice president, enterprise transformation, and chief information officer for CHS, a leading energy, grains and foods company and the largest farmer-owned cooperative in the United States.

Black is responsible for enterprise transformation, marketing and communications, sustainability and innovation, facilities and CHS global information technology. He leads enterprise transformation efforts, including the company’s change in operating model and transformation management office. Black also leads strategy, implementation, delivery and operation of information technology for all CHS businesses worldwide. He oversees the company’s owner and employee communications, advertising and public relations and CHS sustainability and innovation programs, including the CHS venture capital program, Cooperative Ventures

Prior to joining CHS in 2014, Black served as vice president of information technology at Monsanto Company, where he was responsible for all aspects of information technology for its global commercial businesses. During his 20 years with Monsanto, he held positions including vice president, corporate strategy, and president, Monsanto Agro-Services, LLC, a role in which he was responsible for new business development. He also held a broad range of global IT and enterprise roles including leadership assignments in Asia and Canada.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal recognized Black as a 2016 Titan of Technology for his transformational leadership at CHS. Black currently serves on the board of Ventura Foods and is former board chair of Ag Gateway, a nonprofit consortium of more than 300 businesses serving the agriculture industry, which strives to promote, enable and expand e-business in agriculture. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Tarkio College, Tarkio, Mo.

Rick Dusek is executive vice president for the country operations of CHS Inc., the leading U.S. farmer-owned agriculture cooperative and a global energy, grains and foods company. He is responsible for the division delivering agricultural inputs, energy products, grain marketing, animal nutrition, sunflower processing and other farm supplies and services to producer-owners through 450 communities in 16 states. He was appointed to his current role in 2017.

Since 2014, Dusek had served as vice president of CHS Agronomy, responsible for global crop nutrients supply and trading; North American fertilizer operations, sales and marketing; and for developing additional agronomy product and technology offerings.

Prior to that, Dusek was vice president, grain marketing, where he was responsible for all North American commodity trading, logistics and transportation, risk management, and coordinating trades executed by the company’s South American, European and Asia-Pacific businesses. Dusek and his team were also responsible for strategic expansion of the company’s North American grain origination platform, including inland river terminal acquisitions and development and upgrading of export terminal facilities. 
  
Dusek joined CHS in 1988 and spent his early days on the wheat export trading desk. He was named director of merchandising in 2006 and vice president of grain marketing in 2012. He currently serves on the board of directors for The Fertilizer Institute, and is a past board member of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange.

Born and raised in Grafton, N.D., Dusek earned a bachelor’s of science degree in agricultural economics from North Dakota State University. He is a 2013 graduate of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program, a personalized learning experience for global business managers to develop best management practices and strategies to sustain long-term growth.

John Griffith is executive vice president, ag business and CHS Hedging, for CHS, a U.S. farmer-owned cooperative and a global energy, grains and foods company. He is responsible for all CHS global commodity and renewable fuels trading, agronomy operations, grain processing, supply chain management and risk management, including freight, currency, execution and trade finance. He also oversees CHS Hedging, LLC, a commodities brokerage subsidiary of CHS Inc.

Griffith grew up on a corn, soybean and livestock farm in southwestern Minnesota and during his high school years, worked part-time at a local grain elevator. Today, he is a results-oriented, respected leader who champions expanding market access, operational excellence and develops strong, customer-focused teams to monitor market trends for opportunities that drive revenue growth and add stakeholder value across all global origination offices and operations. 

Prior roles at CHS include senior vice president, Global Grain and Marketing, vice president, Grain Marketing North America, vice president and merchandising manager, senior durum manager, procurement merchandiser, and assistant barley merchandiser. 

Leadership positions outside CHS include vice president, supply chain, and vice president, global sourcing at American Italian Pasta Company, Kansas City, Mo., and vice president and chief procurement officer for Ralcorp Holdings, Inc., St. Louis, Mo.

Griffith earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minn., and a Master of Business Administration from Rockhurst University, Kansas City, Mo. He is a member of many trade associations and serves in leadership positions and serves as the board chairman for both the North American Export Grain Association and CHS Hedging, LLC.

Gary Halvorson is a senior vice president, enterprise customer development for CHS, the nation's leading farmer-owned cooperative and a global energy, grains and foods company. Halvorson is responsible for CHS efforts across all businesses to deliver a focused and coordinated customer experience for owners and customers. He also oversees marketing and sales functions for CHS wholesale and retail agronomy businesses and agronomy product development, as well as CHS Cooperative Resources, which provides strategic business and talent planning for cooperatives.

Halvorson has more than 20 years of experience in various agronomy roles, previously working for Cargill and serving as a sales agronomist at a local cooperative. He joined CHS in 1999 and held various leadership roles with CHS in Milton, N.D., and Dakota Ag Services in Minot, N.D., before becoming general manager for CHS Ag Services, Warren, Minn. Halvorson served as vice president of farm supply for CHS Country Operations from 2014 through 2017. He represents CHS on the Board of Directors for The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) and has served on the National FFA Sponsors Board and the Agricultural Retailers Association Board of Directors.

Halvorson earned a bachelor of arts degree in business from Concordia University and has completed many other career development and management courses, including Leading for Growth, Dale Carnegie training and the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) program.

Darin Hunhoff is executive vice president of energy for CHS, the nation’s leading farmer-owned cooperative and a global energy, grains and food company.

In 2017, Hunhoff was named executive vice president following 25 years of leadership roles in the company’s energy businesses and enterprise strategy.

In his role, Hunhoff is responsible for enhancing and growing the company’s diverse energy operations, which includes refineries, pipelines and terminals, refined fuels, propane, lubricants and transportation. In addition, Hunhoff oversees CHS Strategic Sourcing, the company’s enterprisewide strategic sourcing initiative.

Hunhoff's many contributions to CHS include a role as chief strategy officer, leading a comprehensive portfolio review that provided critical input toward the company’s strategic direction. In Energy, he led the refined fuels business to a record 3 billion gallons of Cenex^® branded sales and led the propane division through significant transformation and earnings. He also led a rebranding of Cooperative Resources.

Growing up in agriculture, Hunhoff's family still owns and operates a successful agri-business in southeast South Dakota and instilled in him a motivation to help farmers succeed.

Hunhoff holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business management from Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minnesota.

Hunhoff serves on the board of directors of Ardent Mills, LLC, the nation’s largest wheat miller. He serves as president of the Vision Board for Hosanna Church, one of the largest churches in the Twin Cities metro area, and as a member of Feed My Starving Children’s Minnesota Council. He previously served as chairman of the marketing advisory committee at the Propane Education Research Council. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and three children.

Mary Kaul-Hottinger is senior vice president, human resources, for CHS, a leading farmer-owned cooperative and a global energy, grains and food company.

In her role, Kaul-Hottinger is responsible for setting direction and strategy to help CHS achieve key priorities with a focus on helping the organization attract, develop and retain high-performing and diverse employees to drive business growth and the company’s strategic priorities.

Kaul-Hottinger has more than 32 years of experience in human resources, most recently serving as vice president, human resources for Ecolab’s global businesses where she and her team supported multiple business units with more than 30,000 employees in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Prior to joining Ecolab in 2007, Mary served in human resource leadership roles supporting operating divisions at General Mills and Pillsbury. She also held human resources roles at Securian Financial, formerly Minnesota Life. 

Kaul-Hottinger earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn. She serves on the board for the Dakota Woodlands Homeless Shelter.

Olivia Nelligan is executive vice president and chief financial officer of CHS, the nation’s leading farmer-owned cooperative and a global energy, grains and food company.

Nelligan brings more than 20 years of experience as a global finance leader and business partner with expertise leading transformation across teams and delivering sustainable, profitable growth. Most recently, she served as founder and chief executive officer of Inish Enterprises, a strategic advisory firm. Prior to that, Nelligan served as chief executive officer of Nasco, LLC, a private equity-owned company that provides specialty products for education, healthcare, laboratory testing and agriculture. After serving as Nasco’s CEO, she served as non-executive chair of the company’s board. Before being named Nasco’s CEO, Nelligan was the company’s chief financial officer.

Prior to joining Nasco, she spent 14 years at Kerry Group, a global leader in technology-based food ingredients, flavors and solutions where she held finance and strategy leadership positions, including serving as global chief financial and strategic planning officer for the Taste & Nutrition division and chief financial officer for the Americas Ingredients & Flavors division. She began her career at Arthur Andersen in Dublin, Ireland.

Nelligan holds a bachelor’s degree in civil law and a higher diploma in business & financial information systems from University College Cork, Ireland. She is a chartered accountant and an associate member of the Institute of Taxation in Ireland. Olivia earned an MBA at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Brandon Smith is executive vice president and general counsel for CHS, the nation’s leading farmer-owned cooperative and a global energy, grains and foods business. In his role, he provides counsel to CHS leadership and the CHS Board of Directors on issues related to company strategy and its execution, corporate governance, government affairs, and compliance with laws and regulations, including the CHS global compliance program. He also works with the CHS corporate finance team to ensure the company maintains the processes and infrastructure that support robust Securities and Exchange Commission reporting and compliance, disclosure and investor communications.

Smith joined CHS in 2021 after serving as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Tenneco Inc., a multinational industrial company based in Lake Forest, Ill. Prior to joining Tenneco in 2008, Smith was an attorney with Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Chicago, Ill., providing counsel on corporate issues, mergers and acquisitions.

Smith earned a juris doctor degree from Cornell Law School, Ithaca, N.Y., and a bachelor’s degree in business management from Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio. He is an active community volunteer, including serving as a board member for The 100 Club of Illinois, which supports families of first responders.

Dan Schurr joined the CHS Board of Directors in 2006 and serves as chair of the CHS Board and the board’s Executive Committee. He previously served as secretary-treasurer and first vice chair of the CHS Board. 

Schurr is on the board for Blackhawk Bank and Trust, serving on its audit and loan committees. He is past chair and board member of the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area and past director of the River Valley Cooperative of Mt. Joy, Iowa, and Great River Bank. He is active in numerous agriculture and community organizations and was named the Iowa Jaycees Outstanding Young Farmer in 2004. 

Schurr holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business with a minor in economics from Iowa State University. He completed the National Association of Corporate Directors comprehensive Director Professionalism course, receiving its Certificate of Director Education and Board Leadership Fellow status.  

He raises corn and soybeans near LeClaire, Iowa, and operates a commercial trucking business. 

Contact Dan Schurr

C.J. Blew was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2010 and currently serves as first vice chair of the CHS Board and on the board’s Executive Committee. He is a member of the board’s Audit and Corporate Risk committees. Blew previously served as second vice chair of the CHS Board and was a member of the Capital Committee and the CHS Resolutions Committee.

Blew serves on the Mid-Kansas Coop (MKC) board of directors in Moundridge, Kan. He is a member of the Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College Ag Advisory Board, Kansas Livestock Association, Texas Cattle Feeders Association and Red Angus Association of America. 

Blew holds an applied science degree in farm and ranch management from Hutchinson Community College. He has achieved Board Governance Fellowship status from the National Association of Corporate Directors. 

Blew farms and ranches in a family partnership in south-central Kansas. 

Contact C.J. Blew

Jon Erickson was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2011 and currently serves as second vice chair of the CHS Board and the board's Executive Committee. He serves on the board’s Audit and Capital committees. Erickson previously chaired the Capital Committee and served on the CHS Resolutions Committee.

Erickson is an advisory board member for the Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives, a board member of the State Historical Society of North Dakota Foundation and a council member for Rural Leadership North Dakota. He is a member of North Dakota Farmers Union and the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association. He previously served as director and chair of Enerbase of Minot, N.D. He is a past director on the North Dakota Farmers Union (NDFU) board, the NDFU Mutual Insurance board and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board. He is the third generation of his family to serve in a cooperative leadership role. 

Erickson holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from North Dakota State University. He has completed course work and been designated a Board Leadership Fellow by the National Association of Corporate Directors. 

Erickson operates the third-generation Diamond T Ranch southwest of Minot, N.D., where his family raises small grains and oilseeds and has a commercial Hereford-Angus cow-calf operation.

Contact Jon Erickson

Russ Kehl was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2017 and serves as secretary-treasurer of the CHS Board and on the board’s Executive Committee. Kehl also serves on the board’s Capital and Governance committees. He has been vice chair of the board's Governance Committee and vice chair of the Capital Committee. He previously was a member of the CHS Resolutions Committee.

Most recently, Kehl served as a director for CHS SunBasin Growers, Quincy, Wash. He had been a director since 2004 for CHS Connell Grain, which merged with CHS Sun Basin in 2017 to create CHS SunBasin Growers. He also been vice chair of the Columbia Basin Seed Association. 

Kehl has participated in numerous leadership programs, including opportunities provided through Northwest Farm Credit Services, the National Potato Council and the CHS new leaders program.  He earned his National Association of Corporate Directors Governance Fellowship in 2019.  

Kehl and his wife raise a variety of crops, including potatoes and dry beans. The Kehl family owns and operates a cow-calf herd, a dry bean processing facility, a custom farming business and a trucking and logistics company. 

Contact Russ Kehl

Alan Holm was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2013. He serves as assistant secretary-treasurer of the CHS Board and on the board’s Executive Committee. Holm serves on the board’s Capital and Government Relations committees. Previously, he chaired the Government Relations Committee and was a member of the Corporate Risk Committee. Previously, Holm was a member and chair of the CHS Resolutions Committee.

Holm is a member of the board of the Citizens Bank of Minnesota and a past member of the River Region Co-op Board, where he served for 21 years, with 12 years as chair. Holm also chaired the Southern Minnesota Co-op Directors Association and was secretary of the Minnesota State Co-op Directors Association. He has held leadership positions with the Brown County Farm Service Agency, AgStar Financial Services Advisory Board and Renville Co-op Transport. He has participated in numerous cooperative and agriculture educational programs, along with being an active coach and leader in youth baseball and softball programs.

Holm holds an associate degree in machine tool technology from Mankato (Minn.) Technical College and has completed the Director Professionalism course through the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Holm partners with his daughter and son-in-law to raise corn, soybeans, sweet corn, peas and hay on their farm near Sleepy Eye, Minn., which has been in his family since 1870. Holm also owns and manages a beef cow-calf operation.  

Contact Alan Holm

David Beckman was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2018. He serves as a member of the Audit Committee and the Board of Trustees of the CHS Foundation. Beckman was a member of the CHS Resolutions Committee in 2017 and 2018. 

Beckman is secretary of the Nebraska Cooperative Council and former board chair for Central Valley Ag Cooperative, York, Neb. Previously, he also chaired Central Farmers Cooperative, O'Neill, Neb., and Farmers Cooperative Exchange, Elgin, Neb. 

Beckman earned a bachelor's degree in agronomy from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

With his wife, sons and brother and their families, Beckman raises irrigated corn and soybeans and operates a custom hog-feeding operation near Elgin, Neb.  

Contact David Beckman

Hal Clemensen was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2019. He chairs the Government Relations Committee and is a member of the Corporate Risk Committee. Previously, he was vice chair of the Government Relations Committee.

Clemensen is a former member of the Agtegra Cooperative board, which formed when South Dakota Wheat Growers and North Central Farmers Elevator merged in 2018. Prior to the merger, he held several leadership roles with the Wheat Growers Cooperative. Clemensen has also served as a director of the South Dakota Value Added Agriculture Development Center, South Dakota Soybean Association and Redfield Farmers Union Oil Company. In 2015, Clemensen was named Farm Cooperative Director of the Year by the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC). 

Clemensen has been active with the South Dakota Soybean Association and South Dakota Corn Growers. He serves on the board of trustees for Presentation College, the Avera Rural Cancer Advisory Board and has served on his church board of directors. He’s a previous member of the local Lions Club. 

Clemensen graduated from South Dakota State University with a degree in agricultural economics and agricultural business. 

He and his wife raise corn, soybeans and occasionally wheat in Brown and Spink counties in South Dakota. 

Contact Hal Clemensen

Scott Cordes was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2017. He serves as vice chair of the Audit Committee and vice chair of the Corporate Risk Committee.  

Cordes was president of CHS Hedging, LLC, and served on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ag advisory committee. He serves on the board of Security State Bank of Wanamingo and previously was a director for Cooperative Network, the Minneapolis Grain Exchange and National Futures Association. Cordes is a member of several cooperatives, including Ag Partners, Goodhue, Minn.; CFS (Central Farm Service), Owatonna, Minn.; Farmers Co-op Oil Company, Echo, Minn.; and Goodhue County Cooperative Electric Association. 

Cordes holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and has completed the Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership at the University of Missouri-Columbia.  

Cordes co-owns and operates a corn and soybean farm near Wanamingo, Minn.

Contact Scott Cordes

Mark Farrell was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2016. He is a member of the Board’s Government Relations and Corporate Risk committees.  

Farrell served as a director and president of the Premier Cooperative board, Mount Horeb, Wis., and as a director for Mount Horeb Farmers Co-op. He was the president of that board when Mount Horeb merged with Patrons’ Mercantile Cooperative to form Premier Cooperative. Farrell also was a director of United Ethanol.

Farrell graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison College Ag and Life Sciences short course in 1978.  

Farrell operates a corn and soybean farm in Dane County, Wis., with his brother and son. 

Contact Mark Farrell

Steve Fritel was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2003. He chairs the board’s Corporate Risk Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee. Fritel previously served as secretary-treasurer and first and second vice chair of the CHS Board.  

Fritel served four years on the former Harvest States Wheat Milling Defined Member Board and 21 years on the board of Rugby Farmers Union Elevator, including terms as chair and secretary. He is a past board member of the North Central Experiment Station Board of Visitors, North Dakota Farm and Ranch Business Management Advisory Board, Envision Cooperative and Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives. 

Fritel earned an associate degree from North Dakota State College of Science, Wahpeton, N.D. He has completed course work and has been designated a Board Leadership Fellow by the National Association of Corporate Directors.  

Fritel raises cash grain, including spring wheat, durum wheat, soybeans, edible beans, corn and canola on his family farm near Rugby, N.D. Fritel sells some of his edible beans to local family-owned restaurants. Fritel and his son continue to run his family’s grain storage equipment business, created more than 55 years ago.

Contact Steve Fritel

David Johnsrud was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2012. He chairs the board’s Capital Committee and is vice chair of the Government Relations Committee. Johnsrud previously served as secretary-treasurer of the CHS Board.

Johnsrud serves on the board of directors for the Cooperative Network and is former board chair of AgCountry Farm Credit Services and chair of its human resources committee. He has served on the Minnesota Farm Credit Legislative Committee as director and chair, was chair of the Minnesota Farm Credit nominating committee for an AgriBank election and served on the Farmers Union Oil and CHS Prairie Lakes boards of directors, including terms as board secretary for both organizations. Johnsrud also served on the Mid-Minnesota Association Board, with terms as secretary and chair, and on the Minnesota State Co-op Directors Association, with terms as treasurer. 

In 2010, he completed the Farm Credit Services Premier Governance Series, became a Certified Director and graduated from the Minnesota Agricultural and Rural Leadership program. He has completed course work and has been designated a Board Leadership Fellow by the National Association of Corporate Directors.  

Johnsrud farms in partnership with his brother and nephew near Starbuck, Minn. 

Contact David Johnsrud

Tracy Jones was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2017 and serves as chair of the board’s Governance Committee and vice chair of the Capital Committee.

Jones served as a CHS Elburn (Ill.) board member from 1996 to 2018 and before that on the Elburn Co-op Board, including terms as chair from 1999 to 2001 and from 2011 to 2016. He has also served on the DeKalb County Board, including three years as vice chair, and on the DeKalb County E-911 Board. He has been a board member for DeKalb County Farm Bureau, DeKalb Kane Cattlemen’s Association, DeKalb County Corn Growers and Sycamore Fire Protection District. And he has served as a township trustee and township clerk. 

Jones was named a Prairie Farmer Master Farmer in 2017. 

Jones earned an associate degree in farm management from Kishwaukee College, Malta, Ill., and is a 2006 graduate of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation program.  

Jones operates a fourth-generation family farm near Kirkland, Ill., that produces corn, soybeans and wheat and feeds cattle. 

Contact Tracy Jones

David Kayser was elected to the CHS Board of  Directors in 2006. He serves as chair of the Board of Trustees of the CHS Foundation and as a member of the Governance Committee. He previously was a member of the CHS Resolutions Committee.  

Kayser chairs the Mitchell (S.D.) Technical College Foundation Board. He previously served as a director and chair of CHS Farmers Alliance, Mitchell, S.D., and chair of the South Dakota Association of Cooperatives. 

Kayser has completed the National Association of Corporate Directors comprehensive Director Professionalism course and has received its Certificate of Director Education. 

Kayser raises corn, soybeans and hay near Alexandria, S.D., and operates a cow-calf and feeder-calf business. 

Contact David Kayser

Perry Meyer was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2014. He chairs the Audit Committee and is a member of the Corporate Risk Committee.  

Meyer is active in United Farmers Co-op, Winthrop, Minn.; Central Region Cooperative, Sleepy Eye, Minn.; Minnesota Farm Bureau, Minnesota and Nicollet County corn growers associations and Minnesota Pork Producers Association. He is director of Steamboat Pork Cooperative, Lafayette, Minn.; chair of the Nuvera Board, which he joined in 1995; and a director for the Minnesota Valley Lutheran School Foundation. He is past director for the former CHS Oilseed Defined Investment Board and Heartland Corn Products Cooperative. Meyer has held leadership roles on numerous local government boards. 

Meyer holds a degree in agricultural mechanics from Alexandria (Minn.) Technical School. He attended the Cenex New Leaders Forum in 1985 and is a 2006 graduate of the Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership program.  

With his daughter and son-in-law, Meyer operates a corn and soybean farm near New Ulm, Minn., and finishes hogs. 

Contact Perry Meyer

Steve Riegel was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2006. He is a member of the Governance and Capital committees. He previously was assistant secretary-treasurer of the CHS Board and on the board’s Executive Committee.

Riegel is an advisory director for Bucklin National Bank. He is the former chair of Pride Ag Resources, Dodge City, Kan., and previously served as a director and officer for Ford-Kingsdown Cooperative and Co-op Service, Inc. 

Riegel attended Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kan., majoring in agricultural business and animal science. He has completed the National Association of Corporate Directors comprehensive Director Professionalism course and has been awarded its Certificate of Director Education and Board Leadership Fellow status. 

Riegel raises corn, soybeans, alfalfa, dryland wheat and milo and operates a cow-calf operation near Ford, Kan.

Contact Steve Riegel

Kevin Throener was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2019. He serves as a member of the Governance Committee and as vice chair of the Board of Trustees of the CHS Foundation. 

Throener has served as a director of CHS Dakota Plains Ag since 2014 and has been a member of Full Circle Ag and James Valley Grain. 

He is active in the North Dakota Farmers Union and has served as vice president of Sargent County Farmers Union since 2007. Thoener is an active member of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association and Knights of Columbus, a volunteer firefighter and a church council member.  

Throener attended North Dakota State University and majored in agricultural systems management. 

A first-generation farmer, Throener and his wife raise corn, soybeans, alfalfa and cattle near Cogswell, N.D. 

Contact Kevin Throener

Cortney Wagner was elected to the CHS Board of Directors in 2020. She serves as vice chair of the board’s Governance Committee and is a member of the CHS Foundation Board of Trustees.

Wagner serves on the board for the Montana Council of Cooperatives. She holds a real estate license and previously served as a trust associate at 1st National Bank and Trust Company. 

She earned an associate of arts degree from Williston State College and attended the University of North Dakota, majoring in business finance and psychology. She has completed the National Association of Corporate Directors comprehensive Director Professionalism course. 

Wagner’s family has experience in farming and cooperative management dating back to 1939. She is a first-generation cattle and hay producer based near Hardin, Mont.  

Contact Cortney Wagner