Kansas State University

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.

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.

Read about Senator Robert’s full selection of new staff members.

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.

John Niemann, 1993 B.S. agribusiness, was just announced As the College of Agriculture Outstanding Young Alumnus.  Stay tuned to the next newsletter for full details!

Corey Fortin, 2006 graduate, received the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Young Alumni award for 2015.

Fortin is a commissioned officer of the U.S. Foreign Service with the United States Agency for International Development. He is stationed in Kampala, Uganda, where he works with rural farmers to innovate farming practices and fulfill USAID’s mission to end extreme poverty. He returned to campus Feb. 23-25 to visit classes, present about his work in Uganda, and mingle with K-State faculty.

Fortin’s bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and animal sciences and industry came from K-State in 2006. He proceeded to receive a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Arkansas.

Fortin was very involved in college. He was in Student Senate, Alpha Zeta agricultural honorary, Agriculture Council and Collegiate 4-H along with being an Agriculture Ambassador.

Since the Distinguished Young Alumni award began three years ago, an alumni of the department of agricultural economics has won the award each year. Matt Wolters (’03) won in 2014 and Justine Sterling (’07), who received a minor in agricultural economics, won in 2013.

Winners of the award are graduates younger than 35 who excel in their professions through service and leadership and contribute to their communities.