AgUnited for South Dakota, a coalition of agricultural commodity groups and organizations dedicated to promoting and advancing farm and ranch families and rural communities in South Dakota, has selected a new executive director and elected board officers.
Don Norton, of Brookings, a strategic leadership trainer and speaker, was selected as the executive director of AgUnited of South Dakota. He has served as the CEO of the South Dakota and Illinois agricultural leadership programs, growing the skills, knowledge and character of leaders for agriculture. He has a Master of Arts degree in communication, is certified in non profit Management from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and is a Maxwell Leadership Certified trainer, speaker and coach.
Now in its 20th year, AgUnited advocates for production agriculture by empowering consumers to make informed decisions about South Dakota’s most important industry. By providing current and accurate information in the spirit of shared values of honesty and transparency, AgUnited encourages thoughtful discussions about the positive impact of agriculture.
At a recent board of directors meeting, Allen Merrill of Parker, South Dakota, was elected president of AgUnited. He’s a fifth-generation dairy farmer and recently served as chairman of Midwest Dairy. He represents the South Dakota Dairy Producers on the board. Also elected were vice president Reid Jensen of Burbank, South Dakota, representing the South Dakota Farm Bureau; secretary Cory Eich of Canova, South Dakota, representing the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association; and treasurer Tom Peterson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, representing the South Dakota Dairy Producers. There are 15 members of the AgUnited board of directors, representing seven commodity and advocacy organizations in the state.