IL Corn Welcomes New Interns

June 22, 2020

IL Corn welcomes three interns to our team this summer. Two interns work in the communication department and the third works on membership and legislative priorities. They join us originally from different parts of our state. One of our goals of the internship program is to invest in future leaders of the Illinois agriculture industry. We look forward to the upcoming months and having them join our staff while providing education opportunities which they will take with them into their careers.

A woman is standing in front of a wooden wall filled with corn.

Keegan Cassady

Keegan Cassady is serving as the Legislative Intern for IL Corn this summer. Keegan recently graduated from Oklahoma State University her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and a concentration in Agribusiness. The Bloomington native grew up raising and showing Angus cattle across the country. She went on to serve as Miss American Angus and is currently on the National Junior Angus Association Board of Directors. During her time at Oklahoma State University she served as president of both Block and Bridle and Sigma Alpha, a professional, agricultural sorority.

Before joining the IL Corn team, Keegan interned in Washington, D.C. with the National Beef Association and the Public Lands Council. This fall, she will start law school at Drake University in Des Moines, IA focusing on agricultural law and policy.

Alexa Vincent

Alexa Vincent is a Communications Intern for IL Corn. She attends Eastern Illinois University where she will be graduating this December with a major in interpersonal communications and a minor in 2D studio art. She hopes to pair the two together to get into the promotional communications field someday, so this internship is the perfect match for her. At Eastern she works for 88.9 WEIU and helps with the campus’s Mindfulness Club.

When she is not living in Charleston for school, she resides in Bloomington. While she may not have the agriculture background that most here do, she is eagerly learning and looking forward to putting that knowledge into the new displays she will design. She looks forward to meeting more of the agriculture industry and diving deeper into all the great projects we have planned.

A woman in a pink cardigan is smiling in front of a wall of corn
A woman is smiling in front of a wall of corn on the cob

Katie Smith 

Katie Smith is a Communications Intern for IL Corn. Some of her main tasks this summer include designing new displays for events, creating a social media plan, and putting together videos for promotional efforts. She is most excited to gain more experience using various design programs as well as learn how IL Corn effectively tailors their message to reach their audiences.

Katie is from Walnut, IL and will be a senior this fall at Illinois State University where she is majoring in Agriculture Communications and Animal Industry Management. She is involved in Ag Ambassadors, Hoof N’ Horn, and Farm Bureau.  

Mexican CANAMI (National Chamber of Industrialized Corn) members at Illinois farm
By Tara Desmond • October 15, 2026
IL Corn & USGBC hosted Mexican masa millers on southern Illinois farms and river terminals, strengthening ties with our top corn customer.
holding a cover crop
By IDOA & Tara Desmond • October 15, 2026
Pre-enrollment opens Nov. 30 for IDOA’s Fall Covers for Spring Savings program, worth up to $5/acre off 2027 crop insurance premiums.
Josh Linville and Collin Watters
By Tara Desmond • October 15, 2026
What’s really driving your fertilizer bill? StoneX’s Josh Linville breaks down global supply, competition, and the long-term fix on IL Corn TV.
thumbnail of Megan and Jared
By Tara Desmond, Megan Dwyer and Brownfield Ag • October 15, 2026
Illinois Corn and U of I built lease addenda to help farmers and landowners build cover crops, soil health and nutrient goals into rental agreements.
headshot of Jenny Webb IFCA president
By Tara Desmond • October 15, 2026
Jenny Webb has spent her career in Illinois agriculture. Now she’s about three months into a new job as president of the Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association (IFCA), the group that represents the ag retailers, applicators and suppliers who get fertilizer and crop protection products to your farm when you need them. Webb came to IFCA from Illinois Farm Bureau. She’s new to the fertilizer and chemical side of the business, but not to farmers or to the policy and regulatory issues that affect them. IL Corn sat down with her to talk about what she’s learned so far, the issues facing Illinois ag retailers, and why the work happening behind the scenes deserves more credit than it gets.
Andrew Jolly
By Lyndi Allen • October 15, 2026
A sixth-generation farmer from Chenoa, IL, Andrew Jolly is carrying on his family’s farming legacy while learning how to make his voice heard in agricultural policy as a 2026 GROW participant.
Show More