AgriNovus Expands Executive Steering Committee

Wednesday, February 24, 2016 10:54 AM EDT
By Alex Brown
AgriNovus Expands Executive Steering Committee AgriNovus says growth in the ag-biosciences field is outpacing Indiana's overall private sector.

Indiana’s food and agriculture innovation initiative has expanded its executive steering committee. AgriNovus Indiana says the now 20-member committee will transition into the organization’s board of directors this year.

AgriNovus formed the executive steering committee with 15 members upon the organization’s formation in 2014. As the AgriNovus Indiana Board of Directors, the group will serve as the governing body providing guidance to the organization.

"Seeing a continued level of interest and commitment from our original stakeholder group while also appealing to a new group of supporting organizations is proof positive that AgriNovus is bringing value and gaining momentum in the sector," said Beth Bechdol., president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana.

The five new committee members are:

  • Steven Braun, Senior Vice President of Global Quality and Global Research & Development Operations at Mead Johnson
  • Sherilyn Emberton, President of Huntington University
  • William Johnson, President and CEO of Farm Credit Mid-America
  • Randy Reichmann, President and CEO of the Indianapolis Region at Old National Bancorp
  • Jonathan Weinzapfel, Chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College Southwest and Wabash Valley Region

AgriNovus has also created an Innovation Council for each of the organization’s strategic areas, including plant sciences and crop protection, animal health and nutrition, human food and nutrition and high-tech agriculture. The new members of the council include: 

  • Bryan Brackemyre, Director of Marketing and Economic Development for Indiana Municipal Power Agency
  • Gil Farley, President of Biodyne-Midwest LLC
  • Josh Trenary, Executive Director of Indiana Pork

The organization says the council will provide AgriNovus with strategic direction on engagement in the aforementioned areas. Examples include ways to network professionals in an individual sector, connecting students to agbiosciences careers and determining talent and work force initiatives needed to advance Indiana.

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