Wiebe 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.   Cecil Wiebe is seeking re-election to District 1.

Cecil Wiebe and his son, Curtis, operate a diversified grain operation east of Newton. They also operate a grower and finishing cattle operation to make use of the crops they raise. Cecil and his wife, Jacque, have four married children who are all involved in farming. His primary MKC location is Burns and he feels he has benefited from the upgrades MKC has completed at this location.  

Cecil previously served on the board of directors for Farmers Grain Cooperative and was president when it merged with MKC in 2002. He has previously served as secretary for MKC’s Board of Directors and on various committees. In addition, he has previously served on the board of directors for Team Marketing Alliance.

Cecil is seeking the position because he believes he can help with the future growth of MKC. Cecil feels facility upgrades are a key issue facing MKC and other cooperatives today. Determining when locations should be upgraded or not at all is a challenge and he believes MKC needs to make the right decision as to which locations are key to its future.

Cecil believes the greatest strength of the cooperative system is the ability to pool resources together, whether it is selling grain, buying inputs or lobbying legislators. He believes by working together, we can be more relevant within the industry.

Cecil believes employees are one of MKC’s greatest assets and it is important to hire and retain the best. In addition, it is important to insure employees have a safe environment in which to work.

Cecil feels a board member should give direction to the management team and protect the members’ equity. He feels his experience serving on cooperative boards, under several different managers, has given him an insight into different management styles and broadened his vision. He has served during good and tough economic times and has had to make hard decisions, all of which have helped him grow as a person.

Cecil thanks the membership for electing him as a board member in the past. He is proud of MKC and its accomplishments, great employees, and loyal patrons.