Meet our Team
Minnesota FFA Foundation's Board of Trustees are comprised of business and industry professionals from across Minnesota. All who come together voluntarily to support one cause: engaging partners to build strong Agricultural Education programs across Minnesota. Supporting Minnesota's youth, one student at a time.
Message from Board Chair Pat Dingels
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Greetings Minnesota FFA Supporters!
"Minnesota FFA is an outstanding program that offers so many opportunities for youth to develop career and leadership skills focused on agriculture. This year more than 40,000 Minnesota high school students are exploring agriculture, food and natural resource topics daily. The Minnesota FFA Foundation supports the important work of agricultural education and FFA by securing strategic partnerships and financial resources. I am honored to be part of a great team of people who are committed to growing resources to support Minnesota FFA program for all youth,”
Pat Dingels, Board Chair MN FFA Foundation
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Meet our Board of Trustees
Pat Dingels - Board Chair
Executive Director, Redwood Area Development Corporation & Redwood Area Communities Fund
Julie Tesch - Chair Elect
President & Ceo - Center for Rural Policy & Development
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"I support the MN FFA Foundation because I have witnessed first-hand the impact that their dollars make in the lives of students and teachers. I know that my donations are being used to help develop the next generation of leaders in agriculture and across America. It is an honor to be a donor." - Tesch
Lara Durben - Past Chair
Partner - Empowered Events, LLC
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"I feel strongly that we all benefit from the life-long leadership skills and career development the FFA organization provides to students. Serving on the Minnesota FFA Foundation Board of Trustees is a natural fit for me and I’m committed to sharing my passion for agriculture and the opportunities it provides; putting my career experience to good use; and ensuring our state’s agriculture teachers and FFA student have what they need to succeed. When our young leaders are nurtured, our world becomes a better place for it." -Durben
Staci martin - treasurer
Director of Government Relations - AgriBank
"FFA is one of the premier leadership organizations available for young adults. Joining the board was an easy decision. Having the opportunity to support FFA by being part of the Foundation is an honor." - Martin
Patrice Bailey - Secretary
Assistant commissioner of agriculture - minnesota department of agriculture
"I choose to support Minnesota FFA Foundation because I believe that all students should know about Agriculture and where their food comes from. I choose to serve on the Board of Trustees to elevate why Agriculture is important through out the state." - Bailey
Gary Sloan - Executive Sponsors Board Chair
Senior Vice President, Commercial, Food & Agribusiness, BMO Harris Bank
"Today’s typical news stories don’t accurately reflect our communities or want we can be. Minnesota FFA Foundation creates opportunities for people from a variety of backgrounds to grow and engage in agriculture. Being a resource through volunteering with the MN FFA Foundation allows me to make a direct, positive impact in our Ag community." -Sloan
Jessica Daberkow
Past President, Minnesota Association of Agriculture Educators, Ag Instructor
Jenny doering
manager director of animal agriculture, compeer financial services
"I volunteer with FFA because FFA is a foundational opportunity for youth to explore leadership, learning and development for the future of Agriculture. Our local communities, industries, and country depend on these innovative leaders to feed the world, and I’m humbled to play a small part in their journey." - Doering
Peter Grundman
Assistant Controller, CHS
"My parents are farmers, and I would not be the person I am today without my background in agriculture. I feel called to support the next generation of students- whether it be those in rural Minnesota that may be contemplating how they can make a career in Ag, or those in the city that are yearning for some exposure to it." - Grundman
Mark Jirik
Director - Northern Crop Institute, Chair - Minnesota FFA Alumni & Supporters
"I support the MN FFA Foundation because our communities are in need of leadership. FFA is the premier leadership program for young people from all backgrounds in the country. The Minnesota FFA Foundation provides the financial support to make that happen.." - Jirik
Emma Kuball
State FFA President, Minnesota FFA Association
Bruce Mathiowetz
Instructor, South West Metro School
"As a career Agriculture Educator, I know how important FFA is in the development of students' lives. The FFA Foundation helps FFA members and their advisors by providing resources so that as a teacher I can focus on my students' growth." - Mathiowetz
Paula Mohr
Former Editor, The Farmer Magazine
"I support the MN FFA Foundation because I believe in agricultural education and efforts to expose student learners to ag-related careers. FFA is the ‘icing on the cake’ for ag students, allowing them the opportunity to delve deeper as individuals and grow as future leaders who will contribute to their communities." - Mohr
Natasha Mortenson
Social Licensing and community outreach, riverview, llp
"I serve through the FFA Foundation Board of Trustees because I truly believe that our belief and support of our youth in agriculture is the driver of our future in agriculture. Working through the FFA Foundation touches every program in the state of Minnesota. Just as it states in the FFA Creed, "American Agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and I can exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part of that inspiring task." - Mortenson
Nathan Purrington
Agricultural Education Program Lead / Lecturer, University of Minnesota Crookston
"The FFA has provided many opportunities to me not only as a high school student, but in my succeeding career as an Agricultural Educator as well. I proudly support the FFA as I have experienced numerous youth achieving goals and earning honors that would not have been possible without the FFA. The Minnesota FFA Foundation continues to provide the resources necessary to enable our youth to develop their leadership, build their careers and realize their dreams." -- Purrington
Lavyne Rada
Interim Executive Director, Minnesota FFA Association
"The Minnesota FFA Foundation provides opportunities in agricultural education at all levels. I am a product of agricultural education and I am proud to be part of a group that ensures the future of agriculture continues to thrive." - Rada
Joe Serbus
Chair, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council
"Living in rural America is very important to me and agriculture is a great way of life-I believe the rewards to our youth are unlimited- it is very rewarding to me to concentrate my efforts in helping to educate and help attract our next generation of agriculture leaders to a way life I love." -Serbus
State Supervisor, Minnesota FFA State Advisor - MN Department of Education
"I am committed to the FFA Foundation because I personally know the difference FFA makes in the lives of students; I would not be the person I am today without it—and FFA would not be the organization it is without the Foundation. I am on the board as the State Supervisor of Ag Ed and FFA State Advisor at the Minnesota Department of Education, but choose to serve to keep the partnership between our teachers/advisors, students, sponsors, and supporters strong." - Sheehan
Dr. Zane Sheehan
Jasmine Stringer
Founder, Carpe Diem with Jasmine
Mat Vaupel
Owner, Vaupel Farms
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Valerie Velde
Regional Customer Operations Manager, Purina Animal Nutrition, division of Land O'Lakes, Inc
"As an FFA member I received an FFA Foundation scholarship at a time that I needed that support. Today I can serve on the board to raise funds for the next generation. There are students with financial needs in MN. Our state foundation is a powerful force to help students achieve their FFA dreams and prepare themselves for amazing career success!" -Velde
Gary Wertish
President, Minnesota Farmers Union
Meet our Executive Sponsors Board
Gary Sloan - Executive Sponsors Board Chair
Senior Vice President, Commercial, Food & Agribusiness, BMO Harris Bank
"Today’s typical news stories don’t accurately reflect our communities or want we can be. Minnesota FFA Foundation creates opportunities for people from a variety of backgrounds to grow and engage in agriculture. Being a resource through volunteering with the MN FFA Foundation allows me to make a direct, positive impact in our Ag community." -Sloan
Bill Stevens
Relationship Management Specialist, AgriBank
"I support the MN FFA Foundation because I believe in agricultural education and efforts to expose student learners to ag-related careers. FFA is the ‘icing on the cake’ for ag students, allowing them the opportunity delve deeper as individuals and grow as future leaders who will contribute to their communities." -Stevens
Mark Davis
President, Cambria
Jeff Grev
Vice President of Legislative Affairs, Hormel Foods
Rod Hebrink
Former CEO, Compeer Financial Services
Dan Kohls
Services Consultant
Dave Ladd
President, RDL & Associates
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"I support the MN FFA Foundation because I believe in agricultural education and efforts to expose student learners to ag-related careers. FFA is the ‘icing on the cake’ for ag students, allowing them the opportunity delve deeper as individuals and grow as future leaders who will contribute to their communities." - Ladd