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Cox selected as ISA chair; Eck and Wenning elected as board directors
 
INDIANAPOLIS – Developing overseas markets, creating new products and boosting availability of items such as biodiesel are a few of the goals for the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), the state’s soybean checkoff program. At its recent winter meeting, the ISA board of directors elected Kevin Cox, a farmer from Brazil, Ind., as its new board chair.
“We are living in a special time in agriculture,” Cox explained. “Even in challenging weather conditions, we are producing record or near-record yields of soybean crops. As the state’s checkoff representing thousands of Indiana farmers, our challenge is to make sure that we can keep the value of those crops at a high level. I believe we are doing that.”
Cox takes over ISA leadership from Greensburg, Ind., farmer Mike Koehne, who was the chair for 2023. Cox grows soybeans and corn on his farm in Parke, Putnam and Clay counties. He has farmed since 1982.
Denise Scarborough, a farmer from LaCrosse, Ind., was elected as vice chair. For the past two years, Scarborough has been the chair of ISA’s sustainability and value creation committee. Keevin Lemenager is the board’s new secretary. Last year, he was the chair of the membership and policy committee. The board’s new treasurer is Carey McKibben, a farmer from LaGrange, Ind. In 2023, McKibben led ISA’s market development committee.
The 2024 leader of the membership and policy committee is Joe Stoller, a farmer from Bremen, Ind. Last year, Stoller was the board’s secretary. Two ISA board directors are new to leadership positions. Warren, Ind., farmer Brian Warpup was selected to lead the sustainability and value creation committee, and Steve Phares, a farmer from Albion, Ind., is the new chair of ISA’s market development committee.

Two new ISA directors elected
Chris Eck, of Boggstown, Ind., and Roger Wenning, of Greensburg, Ind., are newly elected as District 4 directors to the ISA board. District 4 includes Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Decatur, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Ohio, Orange, Perry, Ripley, Rush, Scott, Shelby, Switzerland, Union and Washington counties.
ISA CEO Courtney Kingery greeted the new board members and thanked the retiring directors. “We want to congratulate the new board members, but first we’d like to sincerely thank those board members who completed their third terms in November,” Kingery said.
Eck grows soybeans, corn, seed corn and wheat on his family farm in Shelby County. A farmer since 1988, he also owns trucking, custom application and detasseling businesses. Eck earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University. “I plan to help the Indiana Soybean Alliance to expand markets and create markets for the future,” he said. “The goal is to expand profitable markets for soybean crops that benefit all growers. I want to help use checkoff dollars in the most efficient ways to develop relationships that result in higher soybean prices.”
Wenning raises soybeans, corn, wheat and alfalfa on his farm in Decatur, Franklin and Ripley counties. He also has cattle and owns Wenning Excavating and Drainage. Wenning has served on boards with the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (IASWCD) and the National Association of Conservation Districts. “As my many years of service to the IASWCD winds down, I’m looking forward another good organization to get involved with. I would like to expand exports by making U.S. soybeans the soybeans of choice for buyers.”
All other board elections were won by incumbents. In District 1, Scarborough and Brookston, Ind., farmer Kevin Kelley were re-elected. District 1 includes Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Elkhart, Fulton, Howard, Jasper, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Lake, Marshall, Miami, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Starke, Tipton, Wabash and White counties.
Phares and Hartford City, Ind., farmer C.J. Chalfant were re-elected to District 2. The counties of Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Huntington, Jay, LaGrange, Madison, Noble, Randolph, Steuben, Wayne, Wells and Whitley make up District 2.
In District 3, Coatesville, Ind., farmer Mark Legan and Richland, Ind., farmer Derika Lynam-Spaetti were re-elected. District 3 includes Clay, Daviess, Dubois, Fountain, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Montgomery, Owen, Parke, Pike, Posey, Putnam, Spencer, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Warren and Warrick counties.
12/29/2023