Not Goodbye but Thank you to some Illinois Corn Marketing Board Members

July 31st is bittersweet for the Illinois Corn Marketing Board (ICMB) as we transition some amazing ag leaders off the board. The board terms for ICMB are 9 years but most board members give more than that. 

“Their commitment over decades is invaluable to the corn industry. To say their time, dedication and support to Illinois farmers is greatly appreciated is an understatement,” says ICMB chair, Mark Wilson. “These farmers represent amazing role models and it’s truly a team effort that helps us to achieve IL Corn priorities.”

While some board members are finishing their 9-year terms, others have been on another IL Corn board the Illinois Corn Growers Association so are finishing almost 2 decades of being with IL Corn. The board members who are rolling off on July 31st include Roger Sy - District 12 (Newman, IL), Dirk Rice - District 6 (Philo, IL) and Dan Cole - District 9 (Plainville, IL).

Dirk Rice

A farmer from Philo, Illinois, Dirk served on the ICMB from 2013 – 2022. He was also on the Trade Policy Advisory Team and Asia Advisory Team for U.S. Grains Council. On the Illinois Corn Marketing Board he served as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President and Chairman.

“I made a lot of lifelong friends that I never would have met had I not served on the board. I learned a lot about ethanol, how our infrastructure works and our export markets, both grain and meat, that you simply cannot begin to understand from reading about it the way you do when you are in the middle of the fray. I learned about the good our checkoff investments do which again, you can't appreciate or understand until you see a checkoff investment from start to finish, and watch it pay off many, many times more than the original investment. Being on ICMB is a big commitment of time but one I am very glad I did,” says Dirk.

Dan Cole

Dan Cole farms in Plainville, Illinois. Dan served for 6 years on the Illinois Corn Growers Association and 9 on the Illinois Corn Marketing Board. Dan served as the Secretary and Treasurer of ICGA and on NCGA Action Teams.

Dan commented, “I've received so much more than I've ever given and made lifelong friends. I'm so thankful for everyone of my friends who was patient over the years and forgave me for my impetuous nature. I've always told staff sarcastically that their job was to make me look good and my job was to not make their job harder than it already is! I'm afraid I never kept my part of that agreement. I owe thanks to so many it's hard to list them all. If you consider yourself my friend please know I owe you a debt and will always be grateful and won't ever forget the kind things you've done for me.”

Dan has been particularly proud of IL Corn’s accomplishments such as funding Lock and Dam 25, crop insurance yield trend endorsement, the UL listing for fuel pumps, successes of Mycotoxin Task Force, Hunger U and the relationship gained with Missouri Corn Growers Assocation.

Roger Sy

Roger has served on both Illinois Corn Growers Association & Illinois Corn Marketing Board. Watch this video to hear from Roger Sy.