2023 Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Trish Cook
President
Winthrop
The Cook family owns and operates their family farm, CBL Farms, in Buchanan County. They have a 1,200-sow, farrow-to-finish farm and market 32,000 pigs annually. The farm also includes 1,200 acres of corn and soybeans. In 2009, she and her husband Aaron were named Master Pork Producers, and followed that in 2010 as IPPA Pork All-Americans. They have also received the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award. Trish is a 27-year member of the Buchanan County Pork Producers and served as a county board member. She has served on the IPPA board since 2019, when she joined as the Northeast Region Director. In addition, she has served on several IPPA committees, and participated in the Iowa Pork Leadership Academy and the National Pork Producers Council‘s Pork Leadership Institute. Trish has an accounting degree from Iowa State University and an MBA from the University of Iowa.
Matt Gent
President-elect
Wellman
Matt and his family have a farrow-to-finish swine enterprise—Prairie Pork—near Wellman. The Gents also raise corn and soybeans. He has been an Iowa Pork Producers Association delegate and was named a Master Pork Producer by IPPA in 2015. Gent has served on the Washington County Pork Producers Board of Directors since 2010, serving as vice president in 2012 and president in 2013. In addition to his pork relationships, Matt is a member of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. He has an agriculture business degree from Kirkwood Community College. He and his wife, Courtney, have three young children.
Kevin Rasmussen
Past President
Goldfield
The Rasmussen family farm, Owl Lake Production Company near Goldfield, is operated by Kevin, his wife Lisa, and son, Joel. They finish 8,000 hogs per year and grow about 1,100 acres of corn and soybeans using conservation measures such as strip-till. Humboldt County doesn’t have an organized pork association, so the Rasmussens have taken it upon themselves to promote pork and the industry in the county and tell their story to civic groups and other organizations.
Kevin has been on a member of the IPPA Board of Directors since 2018, when he was elected by pig farmers in his area to represent them as the District 2 Director. He became a member of the executive committee in 2019. He has served on several IPPA committees and has been chairman of two—the public relations and public policy committees. He is a Master Pork Producer, and the Iowa Farm Bureau once named Kevin and Lisa the state’s Outstanding Young Farm Couple. In 2018, he was a national finalist for Pig Farmer of the Year. He studied agriculture and farm operations at Iowa State University.
Ryan Pudenz
VP of Operations/District 6 Director
Ames
Ryan is the general manager of Prestage Farms of Iowa in Ames, and oversees finisher production in Iowa of 1.5 million hogs annually. He belongs to the Story County Pork Producers and has served on the Iowa Pork Producers Association membership/leadership committee for five years. He also serves on the swine health and well-being committee. Pudenz has served as a National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) Pork Forum delegate for the past eight years, and been a Pork Act delegate for the National Pork Board for five years. He has twice attended NPPC’s Legislative Action Conference, and he has participated in the Pork Leadership Institute. Ryan also serves the industry as a PQA Plus® adviser and is on the Iowa Pork Industry Center Advisory Board. He is a member of the Iowa State University (ISU) Iowa Swine Day Program Committee, as well. Pudenz has a bachelor’s degree in animal science from ISU in Ames.
Aaron Juergens
VP of Resources/SW Region Director
Carroll
Aaron manages more than 100,000 nursery and finishing spaces for Sunburst Valley Farms near Carroll, and finish 5,000 head annually. He was named an Iowa Master Pork Producer in 2014, and serves on the organization’s finance and producer education committees. He also has participated in the Iowa Pork Leadership Academy and the National Pork Producers Council‘s Pork Leadership Institute, and has been an Operation Main Street speaker for more than 10 years. In 2009, Aaron and his brother, Peter, received the Iowa Environmental Steward Award, followed by the national Pork Industry Environmental Steward Award in 2010. In 2011, they were recognized with the first Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award by the state of Iowa. He’s also a recipient of the Dale Carnegie Course Highest Award for Achievement. In addition, he is a member of the Carroll County Pork Producers and Iowa Farm Bureau, as well as the Rotary Club of Carroll, Carroll Chamber of Commerce, and New Hope Foundation, a charitable organization for adults with disabilities. Aaron earned a business management degree from Loras College in Dubuque. He and his wife, Chelsey, have two young children.
Dean Frazer
VP of Market Development/District 3 Director
Conrad
Dean raises 30,000 hogs annually in a farrow-to-finish operation for Frazer Farms LLC. The farm includes 2,800 acres of corn and soybeans. Since 1987, Dean has been a member of the Grundy County Pork Producers, and has served in leadership roles, including as vice president, treasurer, and secretary. In addition, he is a member of the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) swine health and well-being committee; a 12-year member of the Iowa Pork Industry Center Advisory Committee; and a current member of the African Swine Fever task force in Iowa. He also is a member of Farm Bureau, as well as the Iowa Corn Growers and Iowa Soybean associations. Dean and his wife, Linda, received the Master Pork Producer award in 2009. Dean studied agricultural business at Iowa State University in Ames. The Frazers have two adult children.
Linda Schroeder
VP of Producer Services/District 1 Director
Remsen
Linda and her husband, Dean, produce 50,000 pigs annually as part of a wean-to-finish operation for Schroeder Pork. They also farm 900 acres of corn and soybeans. Linda has been a member of the Plymouth County Pork Producers for more than 30 years. She is currently serving on the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) promotion committee; is a graduate of the Iowa Pork Leadership Academy; and is a past winner of the Belle Ringer award from IPPA. In addition, she is a Pork Act delegate and a delegate to the National Pork Producers Council; a Farm Bureau member; and part of the county 4-H Youth Committee. Linda studied dental hygiene at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, S.D. The Schroeders have three adult children.
Gene Noem
National Pork Board Director
Ames
Noem has worked in the swine industry his entire life. Today, he finishes hogs at JMG Farms in Howard County and is the Director of the North American Supply Chain for PIC, a division of Genus PLC, which provides genetic improvement to pig farmers across the globe. Gene is a member of the Story County Pork Producers and also serves on the IPPA promotion committee. On a national level, he was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to serve on the National Pork Board, where he was elected as treasurer. Noem is a graduate of South Dakota State University with a degree in animal science.
Al Wulfekuhle
National Pork Board Director
Quasqueton
Wulfekuhle served as president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association in 2016 and remains active within the organization. Al and his wife, Kathy, began their farming career near the unincorporated town of Monti in 1979. Today they own and operate G&W Pork, an 1,800-sow, farrow-to-finish farm that markets 45,000 pigs annually. They also raise corn and soybeans, run their own feed mill, and transport their pigs. Outside of work on the farm, Wulfekuhle is chairman of the National Swine Disease Council and was previously on numerous National Pork Board committees; serves on Iowa State University (ISU) advisory boards for the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine and Iowa Pork Industry Center; and is collaborating with ISU to start a porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) control research project.
Rob Brenneman
National Pork Producers Council Director
Washington
John “Rob” Brenneman was elected to the National Pork Producers Council board of directors in 2021. He is owner and CEO of Brenneman Pork, a family-owned operation with 32,500 sows, marketing 1,250,000 pigs annually. Brenneman Pork also includes a crop enterprise consisting of 3,900 acres of corn and soybeans. Rob and his wife, Char, have four married children—each of them, along with their spouses, are involved in Brenneman Pork.
Dwight Mogler
National Pork Producers Council Director
Alvord
Mogler is a partner with several family members in Mogler Farms/Pig Hill in Lyon County. They have 3,000 sows and market 90,000 pigs wean-to-finish per year. The farm enterprise also includes 2,500 acres of corn and soybeans. He was named a Master Pork Producer by IPPA in 1982, and he received the Pork All-American Award in 1996. Mogler is a graduate of Iowa State University with a major in agricultural business.
Directors
Tim Schmidt
NW Region Director
Hawarden
Tim owns Rehder Farms Inc. and finishes 4,000 head per year in a farrow-to-finish operation. He also farms 1,400 acres in corn and 1,100 in soybeans. Tim studied at South Dakota State University, and has a degree in agricultural business. Tim served as president of the Sioux County Pork Producers from 2005 to 2021, and is currently on the Iowa Pork Producers Association’s membership/leadership committee. He has served as a delegate to many Pork Industry Forum events, is a member of the National Pork Producers Council, and was part of the Pork Leadership Institute, conducted by the National Pork Board and National Pork Producers Council, from 2005 to 2006. He also is a member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. Tim and his wife Mary live in Hawarden.
Dominic Hogan
NE Region Director
Monticello
Dominic has a custom-feed operation with 9,600 head in a wean-to-finish enterprise for D&B Pork LLC near Monticello. He joined the Jones County Pork Producers in 1999 and has served as the group’s president, vice president, and secretary. He participates in numerous grillings, both locally and throughout the state, to promote pork. He has completed the Iowa Pork Leadership Academy training and has served on the Iowa Pork Tent committee. Nationally, he attended the Pork Leadership Institute, where he gained valuable insight in the National Pork Board and how they advocate for issues important to the pork industry in Washington, D.C. Dominic received the Master Pork Producer award in 2019, and is also active with Farm Bureau. Dominic graduated from Iowa State University in Ames, where he studied animal science. He and his wife Karen have three children.
Haley Kerr
SE Region Director
Burlington
Haley and her husband Jacob live in Burlington, where they work on her family’s farm. There they contract grow for Oakville-based TriOak Foods and raise corn and soybeans. She is a finishing pig flow specialist at TriOak Foods, where she coordinates and directs movements for all weaned pigs and market hogs. TriOak produces 1.75 million hogs in a farrow-to-finish operation. She has a degree in animal science from Iowa State Unviersity. She is a member of the Des Moines County Pork Producers, a 2022 member of the Iowa Pork Leadership Academy, and serves as a PQA and TQA adviser for the National Pork Board.
Lance Heuser
District 2 Director
Manson
Lance is the store manager of Hog Slat’s Humboldt location. He has been raising pigs since 1987 and finishes 30,000 head annually with Heuser & Heuser Hogs. He helped to reincorporate the Calhoun County Pork Producers in 2018, and has served as vice president, as well as membership/grilling board member. He has served on Iowa Pork Producers Association committees, including promotion and restaurant and food service. He also was part of the Iowa Pork Leadership Academy in 2021. In his community, he is a member of the Manson Fire Department. Lance and his wife Michelle live in Manson and have three grown children.
Clark Wikner
District 4 Director
McGregor
Clark is a first-generation farmer. He and his wife, Kristine, operate Wikner Family Farms LLC with their sons, Neal and Ben. They raise 60,000 hogs annually in a segregated early weaning operation, as well as farm 650 acres of corn and soybeans. Clark served on the Clayton County Pork Producers board for six years, including two terms as president. He was on a committee that raised money and constructed a new swine building and show ring for the Clayton County Fair. He is currently a member of the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) Iowa Pork Tent committee, and is a past member of IPPA’s swine health and well-being committee. Clark was named a Master Pork Producer by IPPA in 1984.
Dennis Liljedahl
District 5 Director (interim)
Essex
Dennis served a one-year term as IPPA president in 2021, and as past president in 2022. This southwest Iowa producer annually raises 2,500 to 3,000 hogs in a farrow-to-finish business near Essex, in Page County. He also raises 2,500 acres of corn and soybeans. He was instrumental in reorganizing the Page County Pork Producers, and he has served continuously on the county board, holding all offices. Dennis supports the Page County Fair by serving as assistant swine superintendent. Dennis has been honored with the Page County Hog Wild Award, and he was named a Master Pork Producer by IPPA in 1994. He graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in animal science.
Doug Gruver
District 7 Director
Sully
Doug finishes 15,000 hogs annually for DG Pork LLC. The farm operation also grows 400 acres of corn and 300 acres of soybeans. He is a member of the Iowa Pork Producers, Iowa Corn Growers, and Iowa Soybean associations, as well as the Iowa Farm Bureau. Doug graduated from the Lynnville-Sully Community School District. He and his wife, Janise, have two children, Abby and James.
Denise Wiley
District 8 Director (interim)
Walker
Denise and her husband, Todd, are part of Interstate Swine LLC, a farrow-to finish operation that markets 50,000 hogs annually. They also raise corn and soybeans, and have a small cow-calf herd. Denise is a member of the Benton County Pork Producers and actively promotes pork locally, including helping with a food booth at the county fair and offering scholarships for area youth. In addition, the Wileys personally donate pork products to those in need, and provide pigs for local FFA projects, runt pigs to youth who want to start raising pigs, and a farrowing sow at the county fair. Denise has also been involved at the state level, and was part of Iowa Pork’s Youth Committee that developed the current Youth Leadership Team. She is a current member of the Iowa Pork Leadership Academy. The Wileys have four children.
Rod Leman
Allied
Iowa City
Rod is an Associate Appraiser, Real Estate Salesperson, and Swine Business Consultant with Growthland, an appraisal, real estate, and farm management company based in Marion. Rod is also a development coordinator for Cactus Cares, a public charity founded by the employee owners of Cactus Feeders Inc., based in Amarillo, Texas. He has also spent 30 years managing and leading various aspects of pig production businesses. Rod served previously as a Stakeholder and District 2 Director on the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) Board of Directors. In addition, he has served on, and been a chairman of, several IPPA committees, including public relations and promotion. He is a graduate of the Pork Leadership Institute. Rod also serves on the marketing committee for the National Pork Producers Council’s Strategic Investment Program.
Rod is a member of the Johnson County Pork Producers. For more than a decade, he has spoken to civic, social, industry, and student groups on behalf of the pork industry through the Pork Checkoff’s Operation Main Street program. A native of Minnesota, Rod earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and computer science from the University of Minnesota Morris. Rod and his wife, Susan Ahlers Leman, have five children.
Ben Schmaling
Stakeholder
Prescott
A third-generation pig farmer, Ben owns Schmaling Brothers Berkshires with his brother, Ethan. About 25 purebred Berkshire sows make up the operation. In spring and fall, nearly 150 Berkshire show pigs are sold throughout the Midwest and nationwide. Seed stock and bred females are marketed in the fall. Off the farm, Ben is a swine consultant at Standard Nutrition Services. Prior to that, he worked for Phibro Animal Health Corp., marketing vaccines, medicated feed additives, and nutritional specialty programs. He also spent seven years in various roles with Zoetis. Ben has been president of the Iowa Purebred Swine Council since 2013; is a certified swine judge in multiple states; and serves on the Adult Board of Directors for Team Purebred, a national youth swine association. In addition, he is a member of the American Berkshire Association. He graduated from what’s now known as the Iowa Pork Leadership Academy; served on the Iowa Pork Producers Association’s then-social media committee, from 2012–2016; and served two years on the National Pork Board’s Producer/Public Health & Workplace Safety committee. A native of Belleville, Wis., Ben earned a marketing degree from Iowa State University.
Darin Madson
Stakeholder
Maxwell
Darin has been a swine veterinarian since 2004. He currently works for JBS, which produces about 170,000 sows and 3.8 million hogs annually. From 2006 to 2019, he was a veterinary pathologist for the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Iowa State University in Ames. He is a member of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians; Iowa Farm Bureau; Iowa Cattlemen’s Association; and Iowa Veterinary Medical Association. Darin was born in Albert Lea, Minn., and earned both a bachelor’s and doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. He also holds a doctorate from Iowa State University. Darin and his wife, Katie, have two children.
Ex-officio Directors
| The Honorable Mike Naig Iowa Secretary of Agriculture |
| Dr. Chris Rademacher Interim Director Iowa Pork Industry Center |
| Dr. Jason Ross Chairman Department of Animal Science Iowa State University |
| Dr. Dan Grooms Dean College of Veterinary Medicine Iowa State University |