Post-Secondary Education Activities

EDUCATION: B.A. in International Relations and Diplomatic History, M.S. in Economics and Ph.D. in Applied Economics and Quantitative Methods at the University of Wisconsin. Three prolonged international educational experiences: Peace Corps Volunteer, Uruguay; AIESEC trainee in Mexico; and, United Nations Scholar, UN Headquarters, New York City, New York.

POST PhD EDUCATION: University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Sofia University, Japan; Wageningen University, Netherlands; and Harvard University, USA.

INDUSTRY: 12 years, leadership and management positions with three different firms: Tenneco, Inc., a global multi-product conglomerate based in Houston, Texas; Farmland Industries, a multi-commodity, multi-product vertically integrated user-owned federated firm headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri; and, Rice Growers Association, a single commodity, multi-product vertically integrated centralized user-owned cooperative located in Sacramento, California. Positions included both staff and line responsibilities ranging from marketing analyst to Chief Executive Officer and President.

ACADEMIA: 30+ years, with teaching and research responsibilities in organizational economics, collective action, strategic management and corporate governance. Emphasis has been on the development of cooperative firm theory and property rights and organizational design of user owned and controlled business organizations. Academic employers include the University of Wisconsin, New Mexico State, Texas A&M and the University of Missouri. Research and lecturing activities includes work in more than 40 countries.

OUTREACH: Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership (GICL), develop and conduct executive education programs for senior management and boards of directors from leading agricultural cooperatives from more than 400 firms including Land O’Lakes, Inc., Dairy Farmers of America, CENEX/Harvest States, CoBank, Cebeco, Batavia, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, Welch’s, Sunkist, Fonterra. Topics include strategic planning, board-management relations, executive development, cost analysis, leadership development, conflict resolution, and resource allocation.