GEAPS Recognizes Outstanding Members, Chapters from 2019

MINNEAPOLIS, April 3, 2020 – Each year GEAPS recognizes members and chapters for outstanding accomplishments, including earning credentials from GEAPS and K-State; reaching membership milestones; and completing the year without a safety incident. GEAPS recognizes the following individuals for their accomplishments in 2019:

Credential Earners

The GEAPS/Kansas State University Distance Credentialing Program helps grain handling and processing operations professionals build their job skills. Participants earn base credentials by completing an organized set of six courses, with the option to augment the certification with Specialist Credentials.

Credential holders must maintain base credentials by earning a full continuing education unit (CEU) every three years. Those who complete the Credential in Grain Operations Management and all three Specialist Credentials earn a Master Credential. It is the equivalent of 180 hours of training.

GEAPS and K-State recognized the following individuals who earned credentials in 2019:

Master Credential in Grain Operations Management

Keith Anderson, United Grain Corp, Columbia River Chapter

Jay Bergland, GEAPS

Steven Chivilo, Lewis M Carter Mfg Co, Canadian Prairies

Dennis Doles, AgriMech Consulting LLC, Kansas City

Mark Emery, CHS Inc

Wayne Hunter, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Randy Tinker, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co, Greater Iowa

Credential in Grain Operations Management

Crisanto Carrasco, CHS Inc, Gulf South

Jordan Classen, Cargill Inc, Greater Nebraska

Paul DeBussac, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Paul Evans, Farmer's Cooperative Association, Inc., Kansas City

Braidy Fehr, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Robert Halushka, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Susan Kelso, Hansen-Mueller Co

Rhonda Knutson, United Grain Corp, Minneapolis

Daryl McCharles, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Anthony McElwain, Legacy Farmers Cooperative, Seaway

Michael O'Connor, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Carlos Rodriguez, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Dean Sansome, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Tiago Van Zeller Teixeira Da Silva, DACSA Atlantic SA, Non-Chapter

Joshua Thorkildsen, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Specialist Credential in Grain Handling Equipment Management

Brett Aanestad, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Keith Anderson, United Grain Corp, Columbia River

Steven Chivilo, Lewis M Carter Mfg Co, Canadian Prairies

Jacob Crockford, IBT Industrial Solutions, Great Plains

Mark Emery, CHS Inc

Wayne Hunter, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Specialist Credential in Grain Quality Management

Tina Barrett, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Jay Bergland, GEAPS

Dennis Doles, AgriMech Consulting LLC, Kansas City

Adam Gorsuch, Michigan Agricultural Commodities, Michigan/So. Ontario

Calvin Kerr, Goderich Elevators (Division of Parrish & Heimbecker), Michigan/So. Ontario

Dirk Koster, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Tiago Van Zeller, Teixeira Da Silva, DACSA Atlantic SA

Randy Tinker, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co, Greater Iowa

Specialist Credential in Property and Casualty Risk Management

Keith Anderson, United Grain Corp, Columbia River

Jay Bergland, GEAPS

Steven Chivilo, Lewis M Carter Mfg Co, Canadian Prairies

Oscar Cuellar, Richardson International Ltd, Non-Chapter

Dennis Doles, AgriMech Consulting LLC, Kansas City

Mark Emery, CHS Inc

Randy Tinker, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co, Greater Iowa

Credential in Grain Processing Management

Mark Emery, CHS Inc

Chad Olson, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd

Matthew Schmitt, Keen Project Solutions LLC, Greater Iowa

Randy Tinker, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co, Greater Iowa

Membership Milestones

25-Year Members

GEAPS is pleased to recognize members who each celebrated a quarter century of continuous membership. Each received a silver pin honoring their service to the organization.

Kevin McNab, Louis Dreyfus Company, Columbia River

Bill Frogner, Integrated Solutions Group, Minneapolis

John Cherney, Berendsen Fluid Power Ltd, Canadian Prairies

Jeffrey Hahn, Agrex Inc, Seaway

Dion Etter, Producers Rice Mill Inc, Mid-South

Myron Rust, Ludlow Cooperative Elevator Co, Cornbelt

Tracy Gliori, TMI Coatings Inc, Minneapolis

Mike Kelley, Smith-Doyle Contractors Inc, Mid-South

Doug Berner, All-State Belting, Kansas City

Carl Wargel, Non-Chapter

Daryl Watts, North Iowa

Mark Bonk, Minneapolis

Gary Beachner, Beachner Grain Inc, Great Plains

Marcus Mears, Cargill Inc, Minneapolis

David Ayers, Champaign-Danville Grain Inspection, Cornbelt

Michael Resner, The Essmueller Co, Cornbelt

Rick Horpedahl, Inland Empire

Mark Hutchison, Gulf South

Mel Fedeniuk, LV Control Mfg Ltd, Canadian Prairies

Jeff Showalter, Cargill Inc, Greater Iowa

Deborah Good, Cornbelt

40-Year Members

GEAPS is thrilled to recognize members who celebrated 40 consecutive years of membership. Each member received a bronze GEAPS pin to commemorate the milestone.

Ralph Baughman, Intl Fumigators Inc, Golden Triangle

Harlan Lund, Greater Iowa

Roy House, Great Plains

Mark Daniels, Minneapolis

Steve Kimes, Minneapolis

Donna Moraz, DeeRoss Co Inc, Minneapolis

Gary Olmstead, Non-Chapter

Karl Keller, Keller Grain & Feed Inc, Seaway

James Given, Thunder Bay

Harold Sinfield, Thunder Bay

Mick Sertich, Twin Ports

50-Year Members

GEAPS is thrilled to recognize one member who celebrated 50 consecutive years of membership. Honorees received a gold GEAPS pin to commemorate the milestone.

Bob Lenhart, Columbia River

Richard Bigler, Commodity Services Inc, Kansas City

George Kornstad, Non-Chapter

Chapter Member of Distinction

GEAPS recognized three outstanding individuals with Chapter Member of Distinction. Chapter officers submit nominations to recognize outstanding contributions to leadership and service to their chapters.

Mark Hueftle, Cooperative Producers Inc., Greater Nebraska

Colin McClure, PMI Nebraska, Greater Nebraska

Lorraine Lego, Alliance Grain Terminal Ltd, Vancouver

Top Recruiters

GEAPS members are constantly recruiting their friends, colleagues and suppliers. GEAPS is pleased to report that 89 members recruited a total of 114 new members this year.

9 Members Recruited

R. Scott Brittingham, MCGOM, Mountaire Farms Inc, Mid-Atlantic

5 Members Recruited

Barbara Grove, CGOM, Central Valley Ag Cooperative, Great Plains

3 Members Recruited

Karilyn Smith, Donaldson Co Inc, Minneapolis

Denis Tetrault, FWS Group of Companies, Canadian Prairies

Chapter Awards

GEAPS also honored two chapters with the Outstanding Chapter Award and Chapter Cup. The Outstanding Chapter Award went to the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, based in Salisbury, Maryland. Jason Illum, Bedeschi America Inc, was one of the judges for the award. He said two of the things that stood out for him were how the chapter reached out to non-members and incorporated Associate members into meetings.

Another judge, David McKerchar, Parrish & Heimbecker, said it was a difficult decision to choose between the top three chapters. “Some of the things the chapters that were in the top three all did were outstanding,” McKerchar said. “It came down to who was doing everything well and the Mid-Atlantic Chapter did a great job covering all areas of chapter involvement.”

Minneapolis won the Chapter Cup. The Chapter Resource Committee bestows the award annually to the chapter that has highest recruitment of new members and retention of existing members. Minneapolis recruited 39 new members and retained 84.09 percent of their previous members.

Safety Awards

GEAPS longest running awards program is the annual Safety Awards. A complete list of winners is available on the GEAPS website. Each year the association recognizes the five facilities with the most cumulative hours without an incident and the companies with the most consecutive years without an incident.

Top Facilities: Cumulative Hours

• Bunge North America, Russell, MB - 2,064,247 hours
• The Kelly Group, Decatur, IL - 1,561,204 hours
• Bunge North America, Council Bluffs, IA - 1,546,738 hours
• Zen-Noh Grain Corp, Convent, LA - 1,479,223 hours
• Cargill Inc, Albion, NE - 1,079,384 hours

Top Facilities: Consecutive Years

• Bunge North America DeSoto Landing facility in Arkansas City, AR - 41 years
• Bunge North America Fountain Bluff facility in Grand Tower, IL - 37 years
• Bunge North America facility in Blytheville, AR - 33 years
• Bunge North America facility in Hickman, KY - 33 years
• Bunge North America facility in LaGrange, MO - 33 years
• Bunge North America facility in Yazoo City, MS - 33 years
• Bunge North America facility in Finley, TN - 26 years
• Cargill Inc facility in Lima, OH - 26 years
• Bunge North America facility in Albany, IL - 25 years

About GEAPS The Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) is an international professional association that supports its members and the industry by serving as The Knowledge Resource for the world of grain handling and processing industry operations. GEAPS addresses the industry’s critical grain handling, storage and processing operations needs by providing the finest networking, professional development programs and access to a global marketplace of equipment, services and technology solutions providers. GEAPS’ global network of industry professionals includes more than 2,500 individual members from about 1,050 companies.