The Board of Directors of the Kanza Cooperative Association has named Alan Woodard as its next Chief Executive Officer. The selection of a new CEO follows the retirement announcement of Bruce Krehbiel, who served the cooperative for over thirty-six years.
“On behalf of the Kanza Coop Board, it is my privilege to announce Alan Woodard as CEO. Alan is a proven leader and advocate for cooperatives. We look forward to collaborating with him to ensure the continued long-term success of our company. We are proud of our coop’s past and extremely excited for what the future brings under Alan’s leadership,” said Alvin Neville, Board Chairman.
In addition, Neville stated, “The Board of Directors would also like to express their deepest gratitude to Bruce Krehbiel for his leadership and service to the Kanza Cooperative Association for over thirty-six years. His loyalty and commitment to the cooperative principals is unmatched.”
Woodard has been the CEO of CoMark Equity Alliance (CEA) since 2017. Prior to that he had a long and successful career in banking and finance leadership, most recently with Farm Credit of Southern Colorado and CoBank. He is a graduate of Emporia State University.
“It is a tremendous honor to be selected as the next CEO of the Kanza Coop,” said Woodard. “Kanza Coop has been serving farmers in central and south-central Kansas for over one hundred years. The opportunity to lead this cooperative following Bruce’s highly successful tenure is truly humbling. I look forward to working closely with the board, employees, and members of the cooperative.”