Illinois Pork Announces New Leadership, Ambassador, Retiring Directors
The Illinois Pork Producers Association recently hosted their 2023 Expo in Springfield and acknowledged retiring IPPA directors, as well as announced new leadership and the next ambassador.
Retiring IPPA Directors
Five retiring directors, serving Illinois pork producers in recent years, were acknowledged for their commitment to the industry.
Derek Dunkirk of Christian County (serving from 2009 to 2022) is a fifth-generation family farmer, including the family’s 10,000 head wean-to-finish operation and a grain farm.
Alan Kollmann of Effingham County (2010 to 2022) is a third-generation farmer with a 1,000 head feeder-to-finish contract barn operation, 100 breed-to-wean sows and a small grain farm of corn and soybeans.
Darren Sims (2017 to 2022) has served on the IPPA board since 2017 but has been involved with the Western Illinois Pork Producers since 2005. Sims is part owner of a 5,000-sow breed-to-wean operation on his fifth-generation family farm that produces approximately 13,000 pigs annually.
Matt Frizzo (2019-2022) served as an IPPA At-Large Director since 2019 and was active at the Expo, State Fair and marketing committees.
Tom Wilkey of Livingston County (2019-2022) grew up on a small grain farm and a farrow-to-finish operation, currently works at Stucky Farms and runs the family grain operation.
IPPA Pork Ambassador
From Sandwich, Ill. pursuing a double major in agribusiness and political science with a concentration on global politics and policy at Colorado State University, Lydia Oker has been selected as the next Illinois Pork Ambassador.
Oker has served in numerous youth leadership roles across a variety of organizations, including 4-H Rotary Club, and has been a member of the Ill. Livestock Ambassador Team, the Kendall County Pork Producers and the Illinois Pork Producers as a junior member.
“As the 2023 Ambassador, I look forward to being an advocate for the Illinois Pork Producers and continue networking with those within the swine industry,” says Oker in the release.
Oker will serve as the ambassador through the 2024 Illinois Pork Expo and will travel throughout the state presenting at summer agriculture institutes and manage the Birthing Center at the Illinois State Fair.
Newly Elected At-Large and District Directors
Kaylee Hillinger, elected to serve as District #2 Director, works for Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health in the swine division and gained pork industry experience through college and graduate research at the University of Illinois.
Beth Spiekermier, elected to serve as District #3 Director, is a finishing records department manager at Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd. and has gained pork industry experience through her former positions at Carthage and PIC.
Will Fombelle, elected to serve as District #5 Director, grew up on a farrow-finish swine farm near Atwood and currently serves as a veterinarian and partner in Carthage Veterinary Services. Fombelle enjoys working with clients in Illinois and surrounding states to help them continue to excel and grow.
Randy Kuker, elected as an At-Large director, has been working in the pork industry since 1988 after serving four year in The United States Marine Corps. His background is in both sow and grow-finish production and currently serves as director of livestock at The Equity in Effingham where he oversees a team that markets 300,000 pigs annually.
Chad Leman, elected as an At-Large director and 2023 IPPA president, is a third-generation farmer from Woodford County. Owner of Leman Farms, Inc., which includes the production of hogs, corn, and soybeans. Leman partners with contract growers, markets approximately 100,000 hogs each year, and utilizes much of their corn production in feed rations for their pigs.
Rachel Schulte, elected as an At-Large director, grew up on a farrow-to-finish and row crop family farm in Cass County. Schulte has interned for the Maschhoffs and currently serves farmers in southern Illinois and Indiana as a veterinarian.
Cheryl Walsh, elected as an At-Large director, is a fourth-generation farmer, growing corn, soybeans and hay, and have a small cow-calf operation in addition to 2,200 sows in their breed-to-wean swine operation.
Tyler Main, elected as an At-Large director, works on his family’s grain and swine farm, growing corn and soybeans and raising pigs from wean to finish.
IPPA delegates also voted on the following officer team for the 2023 year:
· President: Chad Leman, Secor
· President-Elect: Cheryl Walsh, Princeville
· Vice President-Treasurer: Josh Maschhoff, Nashville
· Secretary: Thomas Titus, Elkhart
