Mark Wilson Will Represent Corn Sector on US Grains Council Board of Directors

Mark Wilson, a corn farmer from Toulon, IL and a director on the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, is named the next Corn Sector Representative on the U.S. Grains Council Board of Directors today during the organization’s summer meeting in Des Moines, IA.

Other Illinois leadership of the Council are immediate past chairman Jim Raben from Ridgway, IL and At Large Director Don Duvall from Carmi, IL.

“My goal has always been to consider how we [the corn industry] might stay in front of the issues and not always be playing defense.  We must lead rather than follow,” Wilson said.

Wilson understands that leading the way on global corn trade issues can involve risk, but he knows that farmers understand risk and are up for the challenge.

The U.S. Grains Council develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol. With full-time presence in 28 locations, the Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and the European Union. The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture’s profitability.

The Illinois corn checkoff is a funder of the U.S. Grains Council’s work, which is extremely important to Illinois farmers given that more than half of the Illinois corn crop leaves the state via the river system for export.

Wilson will begin his term August 1 and will serve for two years.