The Master of Agribusiness (MAB) program is pleased to announce the dates for its 7th Professional Development and Alumni Reunion Event. The event, “Risky Business: Managing Risk,” will be Sept. 17-19, 2015 in Manhattan, Kan. The event will include sessions on multiple issues in managing risk and possible tours of the K-State campus, Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI), the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center, and O. H. Kruse Feed Technology Innovation Center, as well as the opportunity to network with classmates and industry partners. It will also include a pre-game tailgate before the K-State vs. Louisiana Tech football game on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Jake Worcester, 2001 graduate of agricultural economics, left his position as assistant secretary at the Kansas Department of Agriculture to join the 4-H Foundation. He is stationed in Manhattan, where his role with the 4-H Foundation began March 2.
Agriculture and 4-H are strongly entwined in Worcester’s interests. He attributes his 4-H experience in Graham County as a key in much of his success, in addition to serving as K-State Student Body President in college.
While earning his degree in agricultural economics, Bryan Schurle was his advisor.
Matt Wolters co-owns SureFire Ag Inc. with his brother, Josh, and friend, Blaine.
Matt Wolters, 2003 graduate in agricultural economics, was selected as one of five Leaders of the Year for 2015 by the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development. Efforts in outreach, innovation and service leadership determine the recipient for each of the five categories: agribusiness, business and entrepreneurship, community service, multicultural diversity and tourism, hospitality and retail.
Wolters’ recognition came in agribusiness based on his role in leading SureFire Ag Systems Inc., a company that designs and manufactures solutions to apply fertilizer and chemicals to crops and fields throughout Kansas, the U.S. and the world. Based outside of Atwood, Kansas, Wolters, his brother, Josh, and friend, Blaine Ginther, opened Surefire Ag in July 2007.
Almost eight years later, the business has developed many custom products including Quickdraw, which is anticipated as one of the top five game changers of 2015 by Farm Industry News. Quickdraw is an automated, electronically controlled spray tender system that mixes batches of crop inputs. SureFire has seen great success, employs 35 people, and has sold its products in 47 states and Canada.
In addition to SureFire Ag Systems, Wolters and his partners founded the Dream Big Education Foundation, which provides resources to enhance science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and math education in the Rawlins County USD 105.
Leaders of the Year were chosen by entrepreneurship students in the K-State College of Business and are based on the Huck Boyd Institute’s Kansas Profile features during the past year. The institute is a partnership between K-State Research and Extension in Manhattan and the Huck Boyd Foundation in Phillipsburg, Kansas.
Wolters is a 2014 Distinguished Young Alumni and recipient of the Vance Publishing 2014 40 Under 40 Award. He was in Blue Key Honor Society and Student Governing Association and was an Agriculture Ambassador during college. Wolters has key roles in the Kansas FFA Foundation, Rawlins County Hospital Board and the Kansas Agricultural Rural Leadership Program.
Wayne Stoskopf is a 2009 graduate and has already paved a path to success in D.C.
Kansas Senator Pat Roberts announced Wayne Stoskopf, 2010 agribusiness graduate, as one of his senior staff selections. Stoskopf was named to the Professional Staff position for commodities, crop insurance and dairy on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
Prior to this announcement, Stoskopf worked as a Legislative Assistant for Senator Roberts handling agriculture, nutrition, and water issues since June 2012. He also served as the liaison between Robert’s personnel and Agriculture Ranking Member offices. He previously worked for U.S. Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins handling agriculture policy and was a Field Director in central Kansas for U.S. Senator Jerry Moran’s 2010 campaign. Stoskopf interned with Senator Moran the year before the campaign.
Stoskopf was born and raised on his family’s wheat, sorghum and livestock farm near Hoisington, Kansas. While at K-State, he served as Student Government Vice President from 2009-2010 and was active in Blue Key, the senior leadership honorary, among other organizations.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture hired Josh Roe, 2003 graduate, as an assistant secretary to Jackie McClaskey, Secretary of Agriculture, in February.
Roe has served as the staff economist for KDA since 2013. Prior to that he worked in K-State’s Department of Agricultural Economics, where his research and extension activities included water quality and quantity, agricultural finance, farm management and biofuels.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from K-State with cum laude honors in agricultural economics with a specialty in finance and a minor in statistics. He has a master’s degree in agricultural economics from Iowa State University.
Categories
Please, insert a valid email.
Thank you, your email will be added to the mailing list once you click on the link in the confirmation email.
Spam protection has stopped this request. Please contact site owner for help.
