BLOOMINGTON, ILL – April 6, 2021 – Illinois farmers interested in serving in leadership positions in the soybean industry have two upcoming opportunities to get involved.
The American Soybean Association (ASA) is now accepting applications for two director positions. ASA directors may serve a maximum of three, three-year terms; current directors are eligible for another term.
ASA Director eligibility requirements indicate that candidates:
- Must be a member of the Illinois Soybean Growers, an affiliate of the American Soybean Association (Visit www.ilsoygrowers.com to join)
- Must be a producer of soybeans as a farm owner, farm manager, or farm operator
- May not be an officer or director of any other national soybean policy organization
- Must be elected by the Illinois Soybean Growers Board
All eligible candidates will be invited to interview with the ISG Board of Directors during their July 29-30, 2021 Board Meeting in Champaign, Illinois prior to the election being conducted at the same meeting. Seating on the ASA Board will take place during ASA’s December 2021 meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. No write-in provision exists for the ASA director elections.
Interested applicants should complete the online application by 4:00 PM CST on Friday, July 16, 2021.
Additionally, Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) seeks qualified candidates to fill board seats representing six districts that are up for election in 2021:
- District 2: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Lake, McHenry and Will counties
- District 10: Christian, DeWitt, Macon, Moultrie, and Shelby counties
- District 11: Champaign, Coles, Douglas, Edgar, and Piatt counties
- District 14: Clark, Crawford, Cumberland, Effingham, and Jasper counties
- District 16: Clay, Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White counties
- District 17: Jackson, Jefferson, Perry, Randolph, and Washington counties
The ISA board is comprised of 18 district directors and six at-large directors. Board members serve a term of three years and are eligible for up to three terms. Directors currently seated in all six districts are eligible for additional terms.
Eligibility to serve requires candidates be Illinois residents of legal voting age that contribute to the soybean checkoff. Candidates must also be residents within the district and maintain eligibility during their term(s). The time a director devotes to the organization depends on their level of leadership and representation needs.
To be placed on the ballot, petitions must be completed and filed with the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) in Springfield no later than 5:00 PM CST on May 15, 2021. A candidate’s petition must carry the signatures of at least 250 of the qualified producers from the district where the candidate seeks office, or five percent of farmers within the district, whichever is less. Petitions are available by contacting Dustin Scott, ISA Director of Operations, at scottd@ilsoy.org or 309-808-3603.
Those wishing to run as a write-in candidate must also meet the eligibility requirements and submit a Declaration of Intent to IDOA no later than 5:00 PM CST on June 29, 2021. This form is available through IDOA in Springfield by contacting David Humphreys at david.humphreys@illinois.gov or 217-524-1083. Elections will be held on July 6, 2021.
Please contact ISA Director of Operations, Dustin Scott, at scottd@ilsoy.org or 309-808-3603 with questions or for additional information.
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
Illinois Soybean Association
(217) 825-7654
Peabodyr@ilsoy.org
