Bloomington, Ill. – January 10, 2023 – The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) is pleased to announce the following employee promotions and new hires in the Human Resources and Finance Departments.
Humans Resources Support
Riley Cochran has joined the ISA Human Resources Department as HR Coordinator.
“With a background in customer service and as a recent human resources management graduate from Illinois State University, Riley will add enormous professionalism to our department,” said Nicole Butler, Humans Resources Manager for ISA. “She has a passion for helping others, and we are excited for her to support our growing team.”
In her role, Cochran will aid and facilitate human resources processes, including record-keeping, maintaining employee files, and HRIS information while developing and implementing a positive employee relations plan for ISA’s growing internal team.
Finance Department Support
ISA is thrilled to share the promotion of Kati Owen to Director of Finance. Owen will oversee ISA’s financial and accounting operations in her new role while managing the accounting team.
“Kati is an accomplished professional with diverse experience inside and outside of the agriculture industry, and we are lucky to have her,” said John Lumpe, CEO of ISA. “She is incredibly supportive of our existing team and brings immediate impact and value to the table. I know she will continue utilizing her experiences to contribute to ISA’s success and growing track record in Illinois and the country.”
Owen has over 20 years of accounting experience in various industries. Owen is an alumnus of Illinois State University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Financial Accounting. She is currently enrolled at Colorado State University-Global, pursuing her master’s degree in Professional Accountancy. Once completed, she intends to sit for the CPA.
Madison Thomas has officially joined ISA full-time as an Accounting Specialist. After completing an ISA summer internship in 2022, Thomas will assist in supporting accounts payable, revenues, encumbrances, and reconciliation of associated reporting documents.
“We are so delighted Madison joined the ISA team,” said Kati Owen, Director of Finance for ISA. “As our work and reach expand in the state, adding Madison to the team allows us to continue to maintain the tradition of excellence and efficiency of our finance department. We are excited about the capabilities she brings to ISA.”
Originally from Mt. Pulaski, Ill., Thomas graduated in December with her bachelor’s degree in agricultural business management from Illinois State University. Thomas has been passionate about agriculture since childhood, raising and showing livestock while actively involved with FFA.
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 levels 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 and www.ilsoygrowers.com.
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For more information, contact DeAnna Thomas at deanna.thomas@ilsoy.org.
