Ambassador MaryKay L. Carlson 

U.S. Embassy in the Philippines 

Ambassador MaryKay Loss Carlson was nominated by President Biden on February 4, 2022, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of the Philippines. She was confirmed by the Senate on May 5, 2022. Ambassador Carlson is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor. 

She previously served as the Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Prior to her assignment to Argentina, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’affaires in New Delhi, India, and held the position of Principal Deputy Executive Secretary for the Secretary of State in Washington, D.C. A Foreign Service officer since 1985, she has served at U.S. Diplomatic Missions in China (twice), Ukraine, Hong Kong, Mozambique, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic. Her domestic assignments include Director of the Secretary’s Executive Secretariat Staff and Deputy Director of Korean Affairs. 

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Ambassador Carlson received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and International Studies from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. She holds Master’s Degrees from Georgetown University (International Relations) and the National War College (National Security Studies). She is married to retired Foreign Service officer Aubrey Carlson, and they have two daughters. 

Bill Bayliss
Farmer and United Soybean Board Director

Bill Bayliss is a first-generation farmer from West Mansfield, Ohio. He helps his daughter and son-in-law farm in west central Ohio on the eastern edge of the corn belt. They raise soybeans, corn and a little hay and wheat. Bill and his family are primarily no-till and minimum till, utilizing cover crops when they can.

Bill views public perception, trade avenues and supply levels as three challenges facing the soybean industry — and sees opportunity in providing a stable supply for renewable products made with U.S. soy. He is passionate about nurturing the strong relationship between soybean producers and their livestock, poultry and aquaculture customers. Bill has facilitated this work through his involvement with the Soy Excellence Council, the U.S. Soybean Export Council, in addition to the United Soybean Board.

Bill is involved with the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association, Farm Bureau and the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, Ohio Soy Council, as well as the Lions Club. He has also served as a past chair of the Soy Aquaculture Alliance.
In the future, he plans to pass his farm on to his daughter, Jana, and her husband, David, and works with them to prepare for the future of agriculture. This is Bill’s fifth year serving as a farmer-leader on the United Soybean Board. He is a member of the Communication and Education Committee, and serves on the Supply Action Team in the Infrastructure and Connectivity Priority Area.

USB Appointments:
•    Soy Aquaculture Alliance — 2022, 2023
•    Soy Aquaculture Alliance — Alternate — 2021

Tarik Eluri
Sustainability Manager, U.S Soybean Export Council

Tarik Eluri is the Sustainability Manager at the U.S. Soybean Export Council. With more than 10 years of experience in agriculture working at the intersection of research, technology, and sustainability; he now helps drive the U.S. soybean industry toward a more profitable and sustainable future through market-based solutions.

Todd Hanten
Farmer and United Soybean Board Director

Todd Hanten grows soybeans, corn and wheat on his farm in Goodwin, South Dakota. He also raises cattle. Todd was a dairy farmer until 2012 and now has a feedlot for beef cattle. One of his goals for his operation is to have one of his children return to the farm. This is his fourth year serving as a farmer- leader on the United Soybean Board. He is a member of the Audit and Evaluation Committee, the Communication and Education Committee, and serves on the Demand Action Team in the Health and Nutrition Priority Area.

He is the past president of the South Dakota Holstein Association and Coteau Hills Cattlemen’s Association, as well as the current treasurer for the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. He is also involved with the South Dakota Cattlemen’s State Board, Watertown Winter Farm Show, South Dakota Farm Bureau and Lake Area Vocational School Advisory Board.

Todd is interested in increasing exports of soybeans, soybean meal and meat, as well as increasing exports of biodiesel.

USB Appointment:
●    Animal Nutrition Working Group – 2021, 2023

* After completing the remaining term of a South Dakota director in 2020, Todd was appointed to the board for his first term in December 2020.

 

 

Emily French
Founder, Global Ag Protein

Emily French has been a part of the world’s agriculture revolution for nearly 29 years as a trader, analyst, broker and presently the founder of Global Ag Protein (2009 to present). Her clients are non-U.S. commercial producers and end users, hedge funds, private traders, U.S. producer associations and commodity exchanges with a sole focus on the soy complex and grains analysis, price risk management and investment strategies.

Ms. French grew up on a farm in north Idaho before attending Washington State University where she earned her degree in Agricultural Business-Economics and started her trading career with Cargill in 1996. Along the way, she has worked for the U.S. Grains Council and World Perspectives – both in Washington, DC – before transitioning to investment banking with National Australia Bank and Macquarie Bank Limited in both New York and Sydney, Australia. When not on an airplane, Emily splits her time between Washington, DC and Sandpoint, Idaho.

Gordon Denny
General Manager, Gordon Denny LLC

Gordon Denny is the General Manager of Gordon Denny, LLC, a consulting corporation specializing in the production, marketing and processing aspects of the soybean and grain industries. Gordon’s background is truly unique due to the broad-based experiences of his 38 year career in the soybean processing and grain industries.

Raised in the restaurant and farming business in rural Indiana, his agricultural roots run deep. After graduating from DePauw University, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Major. These unique learning experiences provided the background for the rare opportunity of working half his career in the trading and commercial management side of the soy industry, combined with the other half of his career in the plant management / industrial side of the soybean processing business. His previous experiences have allowed him to interact with seed / fertilizer companies, farmers, truckers, railroads, exporters, futures traders, engineers, processors, livestock growers, and various trade organizations on a detailed and highly involved level. Gordon has completed executive level management training in agricultural economics and international management at Purdue University, Washington University, and INSEAD in France. He has been an active participant with the National Oilseed Processors Association, the National Grain and Feed Association, and the United Soybean Board.

Florentino Lopez
Principle, Creando Mañana, LLC

Florentino Lopez is an independent agricultural consultant with Creando Mañana Agricultural Consulting. Creando Mañana is an agricultural consulting company catering to the needs of individuals and companies looking for a fresh perspective, insightful review, and the opportunity to create non-traditional approaches that result in substantial and meaningful change.

Florentino assists in promoting sorghum and other agricultural products both domestically and internationally by facilitating direct product sales, building inter-company relationships, and sharing technical information. Florentino also works to develop new companies and strategies to help the agricultural supply chain.

Before this role, Florentino served as the executive director of the United Sorghum Checkoff Program, a farmer-funded organization dedicated to improving the sorghum industry through research, promotion, and education domestically and internationally.

Dan Keitzer
Associate Director, Iowa Corn Growers Association , District 9

Dan Keitzer, from Des Moines County, has been farming for 38 years. With his son, they raise both corn and soybeans as well as custom feed hogs. They are proud to utilize the no-till practice on their row-crop operation and are continuously building structures to minimize soil erosion on their farm. He has also partnered with a major seed company to do on-farm seed development research for over 30 years now.

Currently Dan serves on the Iowa Corn Growers Association Director representing District 9 and as Chair of the Industrial Usage & U.S. Production Committee.

He also serves on the Southeast Iowa Research Farm Board. He has been a member of the County Extension Committee, 4-H and Youth Committee and treasurer of the Des Moines County Fair. He has also served on the county Pork Producers Board in many leadership roles. Keitzer is very active in his local church and has served as the treasure for 29 years. He has also served as the chairman for the local Building Committee for several building renovation projects.

Dan and his wife Jan, have two kids. Both Kendra and Keaton are involved in agriculture.

 

Patrick Russell
President & Co-Owner, Russell Marine Group U.S.A.

In 2025, Patrick and his twin brother, Tom,  will be celebrating 50 years 
with RMG, a family-owned grain export business connecting grain and 
grain by-products originating in the U.S to the global grain markets throughout 
the world.

Witnessing the ebb and flow of the many changes within the world grain 
business over the past 5 decades has offered RMG a unique insight of experiences
and the opportunity to grow from a few employees to the largest grain inspection 
and grain related service companies within the U.S.

RMG is service provider to the agricultural industry. Services include inspection
and sampling of grain and grain by-products, laboratory analysis, weight assay, 
logistics support and export documentation.
 

Jeff Zortman
United Sorghum Checkoff Program, Director, Fowler, KS

Zortman Farms consists of 6,000 acres divided between dryland and limited irrigation where sorghum plays the role of a tough, water-conserving crop. These traits allow sorghum to return profit to their bottom despite adverse weather conditions. Off the farm, Jeff is developing and marketing a software called iTrack. Jeff and his family call Fowler, Kansas, home and he enjoys volunteering at Fowler Friends Church as treasurer, technology and sound director, and Bible quiz coach.

Caleb Wurth
Regional Director, Southeast Asia & Oceania, U.S. Grains Council

Caleb Wurth serves as the Regional Director of Southeast Asia and Oceania for the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of U.S. corn, barley, sorghum and related products including ethanol. In this capacity, Wurth manages a regional team that identifies, designs and executes market promotion programs that foster the mutually beneficial trade of these products to the countries of Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Prior to the Council, Wurth held positions at Archer Daniels Midland as Grain and Co-product Trader and Manager of International Container Freight.  Prior to ADM, Wurth served as a Series 55,63 and 7 certified Trader at J.P MorganChase Investment Bank where he traded commodity and equity ETF derivates.

Wurth holds a B.S. in Feed Science and Management from Kansas State University. There he published scientific research in Trans Pacific Feed Preservation and Particle Grain Size Analysis.

Timothy Loh
Regional Director, S.E. Asia and Oceania, U.S. Soybean Export Council

Timothy has been the Regional Director with the U.S. Soybean Export Council Inc. since 2014. In addition to his general management responsibilities, he also supports a team of 35 trade and technical professionals dedicated to the promotion of U.S. Soy for food and feed applications in key destination markets in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Having served as the region’s Director of Marketing for over half of his 21-year career with the U.S. Soy Industry, Timothy continues to provide leadership in the development of marketing strategies and customer experience management.

Timothy started his career in ocean transportation, managing the commercial prospects of a fleet of Panamax vessels with an international shipping firm. He later joined a U.S. based grain company, Continental Grain Company (CGC), gaining operational experience at its regional headquarters in Hong Kong, Geneva, and New York, before moving to the Philippines as CGC’s Country Marketing Manager.

Timothy holds a Masters in Agribusiness from Kansas State University, and a Degree in Finance from Western Michigan University. His focus is in international agribusiness marketing and trade, ocean transportation and supply-chain logistics for agricultural commodities.