Board of Trustees and Staff - FarmHouse Foundation

"Looking back, the financial assistance that the Foundation provided to help get me through college was pretty significant. Thank you to the Trustees and staff for all of the work you do to make that happen." - Mark Jirik (ND '95)

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Foundation Board of Trustees

What does the Foundation Board of Trustees do?

It is the function of the Board of Trustees to advance and support the mission of the Fraternity and Foundation to include making planning and policy decisions, to be responsible for financing those decisions, to monitor implementation, and to promote goodwill and support for the Foundation and the Fraternity.

The Board of Trustees has no fewer than six Trustees, plus the Executive Director who serves as the Chief Executive Office and as Secretary-Treasurer, and is an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Board and of all committees of the Foundation. Trustees are elected for a term of three years, and no Trustee shall serve more than two consecutive terms.

The Board meets twice a year, plus at the biennial Conclave of the Fraternity. The Board is organized into two standing committees – Finance and Fund-Raising – which meets in conjunction with the Board meetings.

	Ryan Downs (NE ’88), Chairman 2010-12 President - Proxibid "FarmHouse has impacted my life more than any other organization with which I have been affiliated. Not only did FarmHouse keep me on the correct path academically, it provided a framework for social, emotional and spiritual growth and maturity. By surrounding me with outstanding men and a healthy environment, FarmHouse reinforced the values my parents instilled in me: integrity, decency, hard work and high achievement. In simple terms, FarmHouse gave me the tools to pursue my dreams. My decision to join the FarmHouse Foundation Board of Trustees is rooted in my desire to give back to the organization that gave so much to me. I believe that FarmHouse is a lifetime commitment, and I am doing a small part to fulfill that commitment. " BIOGRAPHY Ryan is President of Proxibid, which provides a global online marketplace for high-priced and specialized assets. Proxibid offers payments solutions, a risk management platform, advertising tools and various other services to thousands of auction companies and asset owners around the world. Ryan also serves on the Board of Directors for Live Ops, a leading provider of on-demand call center technology and home agent outsourcing services. He is a member of the Corporate Board for the Raikes School at the University of Nebraska, an honors program focused on the intersection of business and computer science. From 2006 until 2009, Ryan served as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations at PayPal, a leading online payment service with major operations in La Vista, Nebraska. In that role, he was responsible for approximately 5,700 employees engaged in numerous functions, including consumer service, merchant service, sales, compliance and risk operations. In addition to his PayPal responsibilities, Ryan also managed eBay Global Customer Support, which included an additional 6000 FTEs, from 2007 to 2008. Ryan joined PayPal in 2001 as Vice President of Operations and served in that capacity until 2006. From June 2000 to 2001, Ryan served as Chief Executive Officer for eTopia Technologies, Inc., an Omaha-based web development and IT consulting firm. Before that, he was a partner at the law firm of Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott in Denver, Colo., where he specialized in complex commercial litigation. Ryan earned a B.S. in Agricultural Sciences in 1991 from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1994. He serves as Chairman of the FarmHouse Foundation and has been a Trustee since 2005. He was born and raised on a family farm in Hershey, Neb. He currently resides in Springfield, Neb., with his wife, Valerie, and their twin daughters Emily and Lauren and their son Carson. His interests include Husker football, travel, horses, basketball, history and skiing.

	Jim (TN ’61) & Judi Herbert Herbert, Chairman Founder, President & CEO – Neogen Corporation "FarmHouse has impacted my life for over four decades As a college student, the fraternity gave me the opportunity to learn and practice many leadership skills that were building blocks for the future. Through the years, I’ve had the opportunity to be associated with many FarmHouse men and find there is a true brotherhood built on common values. The mission and goals of the foundation enable college men to have the same opportunities." BIOGRAPHY Jim is Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Neogen Corporation, which develops, manufactures and markets a diverse line of products dedicated to food and animal safety in Lansing, Mich. Since its founding by Jim in 1982, Neogen has pioneered rapid diagnostic testing and offers more than 400 products for food and animal safety. The test kits have gained worldwide use and acceptance, and now serve as the “gold standard” for numerous domestic and international regulatory agencies and industries. Neogen has been named as one of Forbes Magazine’s 200 Best Small Companies in America, and was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the 100 Fastest Growing Small Companies in America. Jim also continues a direct interest in agriculture production as the owner of Bar-H Ranches, a commercial beef cattle producer in the Texas hill country near Hamilton, Texas. Jim serves on Michigan’s Food Policy Committee and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Michigan Strategic Fund, both appointed by the Governor of Michigan. He was also named Michigan Entrepreneur of the Year by USA Today and NASDAQ. Jim graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1963 with a double major in animal science and journalism. Jim serves as Chairman-Elect of the FarmHouse Foundation and has been a Trustee since 2008. As an undergraduate, he served as chapter president. He and his wife, Judi, reside in Lansing, Mich., and have a son, daughter and three grandchildren.

	Jim Tobin (IA ’76), Chairman-Elect *Vice President, Industry Affairs – Monsanto* “FarmHouse brothers influenced and encouraged my participation in a 4-H agricultural exchange with the Soviet Union that gave me a much broader view of agriculture. This experience helped me to gain acceptance in a top business school which led to a 25 year career with Monsanto where I have been involved in the introduction of new biotech products.” BIOGRAPHY Jim leads Industry Affairs for the Corporate Affairs Group at Monsanto. Jim earned a B.S. degree in agricultural education from Iowa State University in 1978. He served as County Extension Director for the Iowa State Extension Service from 1979 to 1981. He earned an M.B.A. degree from Harvard University in 1983. After completing his studies, Jim joined Monsanto's agricultural unit as a Product Supervisor. He served in various agricultural marketing and commercial development positions before gaining his current appointment in 2008. Past assignments include Global Product Management, Global Seed Group, Seed Business Team, U.S. Crop Protection Business and the Cotton Business. Assignments in these areas provided valuable opportunities to work with Monsanto's seed, biotech and crop chemical customers and products. Jim lives in St. Louis with his wife, Gina, and their children Michael, Zachary, and Maura. He is a Trustee of the FarmHouse Foundation and Forest Park Forever. He is a member of the board of the US Grains Council and a member of the Farm Foundation Roundtable. He has served on the National 4-H Council and the Missouri 4-H Foundation. He is a past chairman of the American Seed Trade Association. Jim’s son Zach is a senior at Iowa State and is a member of the Iowa State Chapter. In addition, Jim’s father, Kelly (IA ’82), and three brothers, Bernie (IA ’81), Terry (IA ’76) and Kevin (IA ’79) are all members of FarmHouse and at the 100th Anniversary Celebration their mother Irene was recognized with the “Friend of FarmHouse” award on behalf of the Iowa State chapter. Jim joined the Board of Trustees in November 2007.

	Mike Fayhee (IL ’67) *Partner & Head of Tax Department - McDermott, Will and Emery, LLP* “During my undergraduate years at FH, my fraternity brothers became not only a group of personal friends but a group I relied upon for academic support and encouragement. Since graduation those same people have continued to be friends and a great professional network. Over the years I have had opportunity to meet and work with other FH grads from other universities, in each instance confirming my belief in the value of the FH tradition.” BIOGRAPHY Mike is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, resides in its Chicago office. He is head of the firm’s Tax Department. He focuses his practice on transactional matters, with a particular emphasis on mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and the related financing required for such transactions. He is also general counsel to the Dairy Farmers of America, an $8 billion dairy food company. Michael is a frequent lecturer on tax matters and has taught in the master of tax program at John Marshall Law School. He is admitted to the Illinois bar and is a member of the American, Illinois and Chicago bar associations. Mike has been a Foundation Trustee since January 2008. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1970 and earned his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1973. He and his wife Janice live in Glencoe, Ill.

	Darrell Godfrey (IA ’73) Managing Director – The Strand Group “When I had the privilege of meeting "Daddy Doane" at his 100th birthday celebration, I told him I was from Iowa State and had married a Missouri girl. He looked me in the eye and said, "That’s what we call hybrid vigor, son". I came to realize that he was not only talking about my own experiences, but really, about FarmHouse in general. FarmHouse is not just a place to live; it takes young men from all walks of life and provides an academic, spiritual, moral, and social opportunity like no other college experience. My life has been enriched by the involvement with Farmhouse men over the years. It is always a great joy to meet new members and think about the “hybrid vigor” that FH will create in them.” BIOGRAPHY Darrell is Managing Director of The Strand Group, a human resources consulting firm he owns with his wife Nelda. After obtaining a degree in agriculture from Iowa State University, he spent the next ten years with an agribusiness firm based in Kansas City, Mo. While in Bloomington, Ill., Godfrey was one of the founding advisors of the Illinois State University FarmHouse Chapter. Reflecting on this experience he said, "Imagine coming from a chapter that was chartered 50 years earlier and walking into a room of six guys who wanted to begin a chapter from scratch. What a fabulous experience." His career took him to a start-up software company followed by a high tech recruiting firm. Currently, the majority of his time is spent working with Advancement Resources of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, conducting seminars for development professionals in university and academic medical center fundraising. He served four years on the FarmHouse International Board and in 2004 he received the Master Builder of Men Award. Darrell’s wife Nelda is Associate Dean of The School of Nursing at the University of Kansas. His son Mark is a law student at The University of Missouri and daughter Elisabeth is a senior in elementary education at Iowa State University. The Godfrey’s live in Liberty, Mo.

	Andy Jacobitz (NE ’85) *Vice President & Financial Advisor - RBC Wealth Management* “Throughout my life, every interaction I’ve had with FarmHouse has been an exceptional experience. I continue to marvel at the quality, integrity, and achievements of the men associated with FarmHouse. The tradition and history of the organization continue to produce a legacy we can be proud of. I am glad to be able to play a small role in helping FarmHouse continue its mission.” BIOGRAPHY Andy is a Vice President and Financial Advisor at RBC Wealth Management® in Omaha. He helps successful individuals, families, business owners and non-profit organizations accumulate, manage and distribute wealth. Andy holds the Chartered Financial Analyst™ designation and has been working in the investment industry since leaving Washington, D.C. and the administration of former President George H.W. Bush in 1993. During the administration, he served as Confidential Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Economics at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He has also worked as a writer and editor for Farm Futures magazine. Andy earned a B.S. in agricultural honors in 1988 from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a M.S. in Economics from Oxford University, England, where he studied the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy and the privatization of state farms in Hungary after the collapse of communism. He joined the Board of Trustees in 2012. He grew up near Prosser, Neb., on a farm his family still operates. While living in England, he met his wife, Lilian, who is from Buchs, Switzerland, near the Principality of Liechtenstein. They have two daughters, Madeleine and Vivian, and they reside in Omaha, Neb.

	Gary Ludwig (IL '64) President- Heartland Insurance Company “As an undergraduate, I wasn’t involved with the Foundation, and only knew that it was there to help the chapters. Being a Foundation Trustee, it is very clear that the future of FarmHouse is and will continue to be to provide a solid foundation for the Fraternity. The FarmHouse Foundation provides a true tax sheltered vehicle for contributions of any level and to any of the educational programs of FarmHouse. Working with the Foundation Board, alumni and undergraduates from all of the chapters, I have realized we truly have good people in this organization.” BIOGRAPHY Gary is president of the Heartland Insurance Agency and has had a long career in the insurance industry. The Heartland Insurance Agency is a product of a long line of independent agencies in east central Illinois. The company provides property and casualty, life and health insurance. Gary earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. He delayed college for one year while he was State FFA President for Illinois and delayed college another year as an FFA exchange student in Denmark. After graduating, he served as an officer in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, then returned to his hometown of Oakwood, Ill., to begin his career in the insurance industry. Gary is past president of the Danville, Ill., Area Chamber of Commerce, past president of Downtown Danville, Inc., and a board member of the Danville Library Foundation and United Community Bank. His wife Brenda is principal of Oakwood High School. They are both avid Illini sport fans and season ticket holders since 1966. Gary is a Foundation Trustee and involved with the Illinois FarmHouse Chapter including serving as host to many of the new member class and officer retreats. Gary and Brenda live in Oakwood and had two daughters and four grandsons. Along with his family at Ludwig Farms, Gary enjoys raising and selling alfalfa hay, working the grass fed Registered Angus Cow Calf herd, raising & showing registered Holstein dairy cattle and helping with “Ludwig Farmstead Creamery,” a new cheese making operation on the farm.

	Russ Roberson (AU '78) Vice President QARA – GE Healthcare “My affiliation with FarmHouse has had a tremendous impact on my life. During my college years, I was afforded opportunities for growth that would not have happened without FarmHouse – the academic goals of our fraternity were high, the push to be a campus leader propelled me into student government and the social venues of our fraternity were critical in helping me maintain the proper balance. I have found, however, that the benefits of FarmHouse go well past the college years - many of the tenets of FarmHouse have been my compass during life - progress shall mark our every step - a banner that hung above the front door in our fraternity house still today resonates with me as an attainable and necessary goal in business and in life.” BIOGRAPHY Russ is Vice President QARA for the GE Healthcare Information Technology business. He joined GE Healthcare in 2005 as the QA Director for the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) product line and in 2009, he assumed the role of VP QARA. In this global role, he works to assure products and services are designed, manufactured, distributed and serviced properly. This includes responsibility for an extensive portfolio of healthcare software products in both the medical device (e.g. pharmacy, imaging, electronic medical records and prescription management products) and non-medical device areas (e.g. financial and data privacy products) that are affected by global regulations and standards. Russ is a frequent speaker at global conferences; presenting on such topics as software design processes, regulatory affairs, and quality management systems. He has 27 years of experience in medical drugs & devices; having had previous positions in quality, regulatory and medical affairs at Baxter Healthcare. At Baxter Healthcare, he worked in the areas of blood transfusion products, cardiovascular products and drug products. Prior to Baxter, Russ worked for General Foods Corporation as a production engineer. He is a licensed professional engineer, holds professional certifications in the areas of quality and software engineering, auditing and management, and is active in several professional societies. Since 1996, Russ has been an adjunct professor at several major universities where he teaches classes in the areas of leadership, global strategy, ethics, decision making and statistics. He also has publications in many areas and is the author of two books – in the areas of leadership and cancer management. Academically, Dr. Roberson holds a doctorate degree in business administration and management (Argosy University), an MBA degree (Marquette University), a master of science degree in Mechanical Engineering (West Coast University) and a bachelor of science degree in Agriculture engineering (Auburn University).While in FarmHouse, he was treasurer and vice president; he also served on campus as a senator for the College of Agriculture in the Student Government. He was named the outstanding alumnus for Biosystems Engineering at Auburn University in 2007. He has remained involved with his alma mater where he endowed a $100,000 scholarship in Biosystems Engineering in honor of his parents in 2005. Russ and his wife, Linda, have five children – Alex, Blythe, Nathan, Brandon and Jordan – and live in Kenosha, Wis. Four of their five children are currently in college.

	Lee Thurber (NE ’91) *Ophthalmologist - Ophthalmology Associates* “FarmHouse surrounded me with the finest collection of people I’ve ever met. The Fraternity helped shape my values, work ethic, and provided me with a strong foundation to pursue my future goals. Through FarmHouse, I’ve had excellent role models that have shown me a road map of how to work hard, respect others and achieve success. I treasure the memories and friendships from my undergraduate years and look forward to serving the Fraternity in the years to come.” BIOGRAPHY Lee is a comprehensive ophthalmologist at Ophthalmology Associates in Lincoln, Neb. He is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and provides primary eye care, performing hundreds of surgical procedures a year, including refractive cataract surgery, diabetic treatments, glaucoma procedures, eyelid procedures, and routine eye care. Lee completed his ophthalmology residency training at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio from 2001-2004. He received his M.D. from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, graduating with distinction in 2000 and completing an internship in internal medicine in 2001. He was an early inductee as a third-year medical student into Alpha Omega Alpha, the prestigious medical honor society for academic excellence. Lee earned a B.S. in agricultural sciences from the University of Nebraska in 1995, graduating with the highest distinction as a Chancellor’s scholar. As an undergraduate, he served as the 1991-1992 National FFA President, 1990-1991 Nebraska State FFA President, and as president of the Nebraska FarmHouse chapter. Originally from Roca, Neb., Lee and his wife, Heidi, now live in Lincoln and keep busy with their two young sons, Logan and Carson. Lee enjoys music, playing his guitar, golfing, reading and Husker football.

	Jeff Topp (ND ’79) Managing Partner - T-T Ranch Manager - Farmers Elevator, Inc. “Being associated with FarmHouse Fraternity has truly been one of the treasured experiences of my life. Thinking back I can still remember learning the attributes of being a man, and I continually strive to uphold each and every one of those values. The friendships and brotherhood I experienced while I attended North Dakota State University in many cases have turned into lifelong relationships. Even to this day I am in business with or associated in business with several of my FarmHouse brothers.” BIOGRAPHY Jeff is a partner in a family-owned farming enterprise that grows wheat, barley, flax, canola, dry beans, soybeans and corn. The farm also runs a 400 head cow/calf operation and is doing embryo transplants and back grounds calves in the winter months. Jeff also manages Farmers Elevator, a family-owned grain elevator that specializes in supplying flax to the dairy industry from Texas to North Dakota. In 1995 Jeff was selected as one of four National Outstanding Young Farmers. He served for 18 years on the board of Dakota Growers Pasta Co., the third largest pasta company in the United States before its sale this spring to Vitara. Jeff serves as a trustee on the North Dakota FFA Foundation Board as well as many other state and local boards in North Dakota. Working alongside his sons, both FarmHouse alums, is something he relishes each day. Jeff and his wife Jan live in Grace City, N.D., along with their sons Jason and Justin and daughter-in-law Amanda. Their daughter, Jessie, is pursuing a degree in Ag Communications and Ag Business at North Dakota State University and also has an active role on the farm. Jeff joined the Foundation Board of Trustees in 2010.

	Ron Vaske (SD ’87) *Partner, Lindquist & Vennum PLLP* BIOGRAPHY Ron is a lawyer and partner with Lindquist & Vennuum, PLLP, in Minneapolis, Minn. Lindquist & Vennum’s 200 attorneys provide a full array of corporate finance, transactional and litigation services for clients from offices in Minnesota, Colorado, and South Dakota. Ron’s practice is focused on matters involving banking, payment systems, and commercial transactions. He provides strategic advice to banks, service providers, program managers and others in nearly all areas of their business, including issues involving compliance, regulatory supervision and enforcement, privacy, data security, third party relationships, and transactions. He also advises clients on issues related to emerging payment systems such as mobile wallets and the creation and implementation of new financial products. He served of the Fraternity’s International Executive Board from 2004 – 2008. Ron joined the Foundation Board of Trustees in 2012. He lives in St. Louis Park, Minn.

The FarmHouse Foundation • 7306 NW Tiffany Spring Parkway, Suite 210 • Kansas City, MO 64153
PH: (816) 891-9445 • FAX: (816) 891-0838 • FHHQ@FarmHouse.org
Foundation Board of Trustees and Staff