World Grain - May 2017 - 10

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Miller Milling names new president, CEO
BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA, U.S. -
Miller Milling Co. announced on April 25
that Jeffrey D. Thomas has been promoted
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Thomas, who currently is Miller Milling's
vice-president of operations, will take the top
post at the Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S.based milling company effective June 1.
As president and CEO, Thomas succeeds
Thomas
Kazuyoshi (Kaz) Watanabe, who has headed
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Nisshin Seifun Group. Watanabe will return to Japan and serve as
an executive at Nisshin and as a member of the Miller Milling board
of directors. With Watanabe's departure from the United States,
Akihiko Imanishi will join Miller Milling from Nisshin in Japan as a
senior vice-president.
Announcing the succession, Nisshin expressed appreciation for
Watanabe's leadership in the United States and continued service at
Nisshin and called Thomas a "very strong leader." Nisshin said the

transition occurs with Miller Milling "in a strong position."
"Jeff has a track record of strong leadership both inside and
outside of the company," Miller Milling said. "This, combined with
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Thomas joined Miller Milling in May 2014 when the company
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Minnesota, U.S. - in connection with the formation of Ardent Mills
by ConAgra Mills, Cargill and CHS, Inc. At the time, Thomas was
the manager of the ConAgra mill at Saginaw.
A 1994 graduate of Kansas State University with a degree in
milling science from the Department of Grain Science and Industry,
Thomas spent 16 years in milling operations at ConAgra. He
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manager of Saginaw since 2010. He was promoted to vice-president
of operations and relocated to Bloomington in October 2015.

U.S. Senate confirms Perdue as secretary of agriculture
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S. - The U.S.
Senate on April 24 confirmed the nomination
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the nation's 31st secretary of agriculture.
The vote was 87 to 11.
"I'm pleased that the U.S. Senate was able
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of Kansas, U.S., chairman of the Senate
Perdue
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and
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House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway
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U.S. ag industry.
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ranchers, and I know he will work to ensure that agriculture is a top
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has made it clear he supports a good farm bill that is delivered on
time and includes a strong safety net for our nation's farmers. That
is absolutely critical as rural America struggles against the largest
4-year percentage decline in net farm income since the start of the
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on behalf of rural America, and I look forward to working with
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lives of America's farmers and ranchers."
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) supports
10

the new leader implemented to spearhead the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA).
"The USDA has been without a secretary for too long, but we are
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department," the NCGA said. "There are still more than 200 political
appointments at USDA that have yet to be made. We strongly urge
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production agriculture, agribusiness and state government, and
his ability to engage effectively with others will serve him and
U.S. agriculture well as he assumes a leadership role within the
administration on trade, the farm bill, regulatory overreach and
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president of the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA).
Gordon said as the owner of three agribusiness and transportation
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a member of the NGFA's board of directors from 2014 until his
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also had served as a member of NGFA's Country Elevator Committee
in the early 1980s. He won election as Georgia's governor in 2003
and was reelected to a second term in 2006 with 58% of the vote.
David Schemm, president of the National Association of Wheat
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negotiations for the 2018 farm bill reauthorization are under way and
as the White House drafts a new trade agenda," Schemm said.
May 2017 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com
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World Grain - May 2017

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