Randy Ellwood seeks re-election to MKC board of directors

By Kerry Watson, Director of Communications

Three positions on MKC's board of directors will be decided by a vote of the membership during MKC's annual meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 11, at 6 p.m., at the Sunflower Building located on the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson.   Randy Ellwood was first elected to MKC’s Board of Directors in 2007 and is seeking his third term as an at-large director.
 
Randy has operated a diversified grain operation in the Windom, Marquette and Nickerson area since 1980. Along with his wife, Nancy, their operation is run by their children and his uncle, Bill Teeter. Their operations consist of wheat milo, soybeans, hay and silage, along with Randy’s cow/calf operation. His primary MKC location is Groveland. Randy has previously served on several committees including Haven Commodities, MKC’s Scholarship Committee, and the safety committee for the Windom Fire Department.

Randy sees key issues facing cooperatives today as increased costs of operations, construction and repairs. Another issue is staying current with government regulations. He believes the greatest strength of a cooperative system is its access to quality supplies and services at a reasonable cost. By banding together to purchase supplies and services, cooperatives offset the advantage of larger companies.

When asked about the role of a director, Randy commented that it is to define and set the cooperative’s overall objectives and policies and set long-range goals with management. In addition, a director’s role is to listen to patrons’ concerns and relay them to management.

Randy believes his past participation in various workshops and trainings has helped him gain the knowledge needed to be an effective member of the board. A number of ideas he has presented to the board have been implemented.

Randy feels his experience of 34 years in agricultural business will help him to continue to serve and make decisions that are best for MKC.