FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ILLINOIS SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES STAFF PROMOTIONS AND FOUNDATION LAUNCH
BLOOMINGTON, ILL – August 26, 2020 – Today, the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) announced the promotion of several employees and the creation of a new 501(c)(3) foundation.
Brian Hansen who has been serving as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will now add Chief Operating Officer (COO) to his title. Hansen has more than 18 years of experience in association management and will be helping to direct the day-to-day organizational needs at ISA.
Mike Levin is being promoted to Senior Director of Government Affairs and Andrew Larson has been promoted to Director of Public Policy and Market Development. These two will lead the association’s advocacy and membership efforts, along with Larson’s direction on efforts related to soybean demand and trade.
Rachel Peabody has been promoted to Director of Communications. She will direct the internal and external communications efforts, along with all marketing and branding programs for the association. She will also serve as Editor-in-Chief of the newly re-launched Illinois Field & Bean magazine.
Amy Roady is moving into the newly created Director of Outreach role. In this capacity, Roady will oversee the development of the Illinois Soybean Association Foundation. This effort will allow for ISA to extend their outreach to special initiatives, scholarship programs and endowments to enhance the future of Illinois soybean production.
Other promotions and role changes include:
- Heather Atkinson, Digital Communications Manager
- Megan Miller, Research, Sustainability and Outreach Manager
- Stephen Sostaric, Legislative Coordinator
“ISA has a talented team in place with industry skill sets that position the organization well for future success and growth. These promotions and title changes reflect the leadership and work ethic of the team, as well as their commitment to the 43,000 Illinois soybean farmers we serve,” says CEO John Lumpe. “It’s also incredibly exciting to launch the new foundation arm of our organization. This will position ISA to better serve farmers and their communities on all fronts and allow us to make checkoff investments go even further.”
The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development and utilization efforts while the membership program supports the government relations interests of Illinois soybean farmers at the local, state, and national level, through the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG). ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean producers through promotion, advocacy, and education with the vision of becoming a market leader in sustainable soybean production and profitability. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org.
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For more information, contact:
Rachel Peabody
Director of Communications
peabodyr@ilsoy.org
217-825-7654
