Fayetteville, AR (December 17, 2024) - Starting in 2025, the Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA) Board of Directors will add a class of Associate Member Directors to better address the needs of their full membership. Two roles will be nominated in 2025, expanding the Board to 11.

Additionally, to find opportunities to work more closely with ASTA, the Board has added Jim Schweigert of Gro Alliance to the Board as the ASTA Liaisons position.

Nominations for the IPSA Board of Directors that will be voted on during the IPSA Annual Meeting on January 8, 2025 are as follows:

Regular Directors:

Jim Robinson, CTO, Rob-See-Co, Class of 2026

Jim Robinson is the Chief Technology Officer of Rob-See-Co, managing product management, product licensing, supplier relationships, and pricing for the company among other duties as they arise. Jim has been with Rob-See-Co since 2015 but grew up in and around seed with the JC Robinson Seed Company, the western half of Golden Harvest prior to the sale to Syngenta. Jim started working in the corn nursery in 1998 and had aspirations of becoming a corn breeder, which led him to attend Iowa State University. After the sale of Golden Harvest in 2004, Jim finished his time at ISU with a degree in genetics before attending University of California San Diego to earn his PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology. After the restarting of Rob-See-Co, Jim returned to the family business in 2015 with roles in product evaluation and product management before taking on his current duties in 2021.

Jim and his wife, Janae, live in Waterloo, NE with their two daughters, Edie (9) and Willa (7). In their free time, the Robinson family is passionate about Husker and Iowa State sports, dance activities with the girls, and traveling.

Seth Hill, Owner & Manager, Champion Seed, Class of 2027

Seth Hill is co-owner of Champion Seed, based in Ellsworth, IA. Seth oversees many aspects of the business including corn production and inventory management. Along with his brother-in-law Brett Hodnefield, Seth started the independent company in 2003 and has grown it to service farmers in 11 states.

Prior to Champion Seed, Seth graduated from Iowa State University in Ag Business and immediately entered the seed business. When the opportunity arose to start Champion Seed with his brother in law, he decided the risk was worth it and has been all-in ever since.

Outside of work, Seth and his wife Willow spend their free time watching and coaching their three kids, ages 13, 11, & 11 in several sports and try to get to as many Iowa State games as they can. Their family lives on an acreage outside of Story City and are involved in the school district and church Seth grew up in, understanding the importance of strong roots and community.

Shane Ohlde, CEO, Ohlde Seed, Class of 2027

Shane Ohlde is the CEO of Ohlde Seed Farms, Inc. and VariMax, LLC of Palmer, KS. Shane attended Fort Hays State University majoring in Crop Science. Upon returning to the family farming operation, Shane took over operations of Ohlde Seed Farms in 2003, now doing business in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Oklahoma, currently serving over 1400 farmers and 105 dealerships. In 2017, Shane developed VariMax, LLC and is acting CEO.

Shane presently serves as President of Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association, Linn Willow Creek Dairy board of directors, President of Palmer Ball Association, Linn Lutheran Auction Committee, Linn Lutheran Endowment Fund, and Vice President of AGSECO. Shane was selected as the ASA/DuPont Young Leader in 2007, served as a board member of the Kansas Soybean Association, Independent Professional Seedsman Association, has served on the church council as trustee of St. John Lutheran Church. Shane is married to his wife AnnMarie Ohlde and they have three children together: Dylan , and twin daughters Kyra and Lexie.

Associate Directors:

Matt Shipton, Partner & Broker, Mayer Seed Line, Class of 2026

Matt Shipton was born and raised in Delavan, Illinois, and still resides on the family farm. Matt has over 30 years of experience in the industry. Matt has been with MayerSeedine as a broker since 2012. Before his current role, Matt served in production, product management, licensing, and related roles. He and his wife, Stacey, have three children.

Matt's life with cron began "way back" - Matt’s middle name is “Reid”– he is a descendant of Robert Reid who originated Reid’s Yellow Dent. RYD achieved widespread recognition upon winning Champion Corn at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Matt’s roots run deep in the seed industry. Literally.

Kevin Cavanaugh, President, Peterson Corn Genetics, Class of 2027

Kevin grew up on a family farm in Northwest Ohio. As a summer job during high school and college, Kevin worked for a hybrid seed corn company (Pioneer Hi-Bred International) at a corn research station. There Kevin developed a passion for increasing productivity through genetics and corn hybrid selection. Kevin received his BS in Agronomy at Iowa State University in 1988 and then completed his MS and PhD at Purdue University in Plant Breeding and Genetics in 1993. At Purdue, Kevin deepened his knowledge of corn research and taught the Introductory Soil Science class to undergraduates for several semesters.

These experiences prepared Kevin for his role as Director of Research at Beck’s Superior Hybrids in Central Indiana where he was the first full time research employee and was part of the Company Leadership Team. During the 27 years Kevin worked at Beck’s, the company grew 26 times bigger and became the largest independent seed company in the United States. Kevin was charged with developing a competitive corn and soybean lineup as well as many other research functions. During this period, Kevin served many national and state seed organizations and has been President of several of these organizations including the Indiana Seed Trade Association and the Indiana Crop Improvement Association.

In 2020, Kevin decided to make a change to gain ownership in a corn genetic licensing company. Now as President of Peterson Corn Genetics, Kevin’s company licenses corn genetics to the independent seed companies in the United States and Canada.

Kevin enjoys giving back to the community and has served multiple terms on the local School Board. He has served as President several times and many other offices supporting local public education. Kevin has two sons, Jackson and Grant and is married to Carey, and lives in Central Indiana.