National Association of Wheat Growers Names New CEO

Longtime soybean industry executive soybean industry executive Jim Palmer has been named chief executive officer of the National Association of Wheat Growers.

Palmer was selected by the NAWG Board of Directors after a search process led by the NAWG officers and grower-leaders.

Washington Association of Wheat Growers Vice President Nicole Berg, was a member of the the national CEO search committee. She shares more about their decision.

Berg: “We chose Jim Palmer. He was one of the guys that stood out and he said that he believed that the farmer was the best lobbyist. I think part of the reason that the board went with someone outside of the industry is because they wanted a change and wanted new ideas brought into the industry to see if we can take the association to the next level.”

Palmer has worked in administrative roles for national and state agricultural associations for the past 30 years, most of that time in the soybean industry.

From 1997 until early 2012, he worked as the executive director for the Minnesota Soybean Association and the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council.

Earlier in his career, he worked in commercial ag credit and was the staff lead during the development of the United Soybean Board, the national soybean checkoff.

He will officially begin work with the Association and Foundation as of June 1, though he plans to meet with NAWG’s grower-leaders and staff throughout the month of May.