Board of Trustees and Staff - FarmHouse Foundation

"Looking back, the financial assistance that the Foundation provided to help get me through college was pretty significant. Thank you to the Trustees and staff for all of the work you do to make that happen." - Mark Jirik (ND '95)

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Foundation Board of Trustees

What does the Foundation Board of Trustees do?

It is the function of the Board of Trustees to advance and support the mission of the Fraternity and Foundation to include making planning and policy decisions, to be responsible for financing those decisions, to monitor implementation, and to promote goodwill and support for the Foundation and the Fraternity.

The Board of Trustees has no fewer than six Trustees, plus the Executive Director who serves as the Chief Executive Office and as Secretary-Treasurer, and is an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Board and of all committees of the Foundation. Trustees are elected for a term of three years, and no Trustee shall serve more than two consecutive terms.

The Board meets twice a year, plus at the biennial Conclave of the Fraternity. The Board is organized into two standing committees – Finance and Fund-Raising – which meets in conjunction with the Board meetings.

	Art Heggen, Chairman (IA '66) Retired Executive Vice President - The Assurant Group Email: abheggen@bellsouth.net "As part of student life, the FarmHouse opportunity provided a great experience in leadership , group values and commitment to education which has served me well throughout my career. Those experiences and opportunities outside of the classroom immeasurably enrich the value of a college education . Now, serving on the Foundation's Board provides an opportunity for me to help ensure that similar benefits are afforded to today's FarmHouse members . The mission and goals of the Foundation are truly important and I encourage all to support it in any way you can." BIOGRAPHY Art recently retired from his position as Executive Vice President for Assurant Solutions/ Assurant Specialty Property. Art was in charge of corporate planning for Assurant, in which he helped determine the corporate organizational structure and execute corporate reorganization transactions. He also oversaw the corporate charitable giving program within their business unit. He is a certified public accountant (CPA), chartered property casualty underwriter (CPCU), fellow of the life management institute (FLMI), and associate in insurance accounting and finance (AIAF). He graduated from Iowa State in 1967 then served in the U.S. Marine Corps including service in Vietnam. Art is Chairman of the Foundation Board of Trustees and has served as a Trustee since 2003. His wife, Betty, is a former Peace Corps volunteer and a retired instructor from Miami Dade Community College. They live in Miami and have a grown son, daughter, a granddaughter and a grandson. They plan to retire to Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.

	Ryan Downs, Chairman-Elect(NE '88) Vice President of Operations - eBay, Inc. Email: ryan@ryandowns.net "FarmHouse has impacted my life more than any other organization with which I have been affiliated. Not only did FarmHouse keep me on the correct path academically, it provided a framework for social, emotional and spiritual growth and maturity. By surrounding me with outstanding men and a healthy environment, FarmHouse reinforced the values my parents instilled in me: integrity, decency, hard work and high achievement. In simple terms, FarmHouse gave me the tools to pursue my dreams. My decision to join the FarmHouse Foundation Board of Trustees is rooted in my desire to give back to the organization that gave so much to me. I believe that FarmHouse is a lifetime commitment, and I am doing a small part to fulfill that commitment. " BIOGRAPHY Ryan is Senior Vice President of Global Customer Service and Operations with eBay, Inc. His responsibilities include consumer support, merchant support, fraud operations and various other operational functions for eBay's ecommerce division, eBay Marketplaces, and its payments division, PayPal. eBay was founded in 1995 and is the world's largest ecommerce company with annual revenues of more than $7.5 billion per year. eBay acquired PayPal in 2002, about one year after Ryan started with the payments company. Today, Ryan is responsible for approximately 10,000 people in more than 20 locations who enable more than 250 million customers around the world to buy, sell and pay for goods and services. Prior to PayPal, Ryan was CEO of eTopia Technologies, Inc. and an attorney. Ryan graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in agriculture sciences. As an undergraduate, he was FarmHouse chapter president and recruitment chair. After graduation he attended Harvard Law School, where he earned a juris doctorate in 1994. Ryan's father (NE '61) and his brother Dale (NE '91) are both FarmHouse members. Ryan is Chairman-Elect of the Foundation Board of Trustees and has served on two other nonprofit boards. Ryan, his wife Valerie and their three young children live in Omaha, Neb.

	Greg Bamford (CO '67) President - Bamford Companies Email: glb@bamcos.com "Very soon after I was given a bid to pledge FarmHouse, I realized I was on the road to a treasured affiliation with the highest caliber of men; individuals that make a positive difference in our communities and in our world. All who have a connection with our Fraternity are privileged to be able to continue this heritage by contributing in some way - small or large - toward the growth and development of capable young men now and into the future as FarmHouse men!" BIOGRAPHY Greg is President of Bamford Companies and active in real estate development in the Phoenix metro area with his two sons, under the name of Whitewing. Whitewing purchases land in the path of growth; completes planning, annexation, re-zoning, platting, engineering, etc; builds all infrastructure; and markets individual, custom-home building lots to individual families and spec builders. A total of 285 Whitewing lots have been delivered since 1998, and 245 are currently under construction for a combined total retail land value of $130 million for the 530 lots in 5 subdivisions. He is a licensed real estate broker in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming and Arizona. He had owned farmland since he was a child in northeast Colorado/ southwest Nebraska until February 2007, and says a recent sale has him “momentarily on the sideline.” He is an agriculture business/economics graduate of Colorado State University and during college he served as National FFA President from 1967-1968. Greg currently serves on five non-profit boards including the FarmHouse Foundation, as a Trustee for three years. He is a licensed private pilot and in his spare time he flies for Angel Flight, a volunteer organization that flies medical-needs patients and their families to their needed treatment. He and his wife of 38 years, Trudy, live in Gilbert, Ariz., and have two grown sons, three grandchildren and another grandchild expected in November.

	Matt Calavan (OK ’84) General Manager– Beaver Toyota Email: mattc@beavertoyota.com "To say that FarmHouse has been instrumental in my success as a man is an understatement. The values, discipline and work ethic I learned as a child growing up in rural Oklahoma allowed me to take advantage of the great opportunity in FarmHouse. Little did I know at the time the lasting impact it would have on my life. I believe that to whom much is given, much is expected. FarmHouse has given me so much and it is simply an honor to serve on the Board of Trustees." BIOGRAPHY Matt Calavan is Vice President and General Manager of one of the largest automotive dealerships in New Mexico – Beaver Toyota of Santa Fe. In 1992 he joined the family business in a Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and Cadillac store in Lufkin, Texas. Over the next eight years he served in sales, fleet sales, service manager, sales manager and general sales manager positions respectfully. The family’s Texas automotive operations were sold in 2000 and Matt joined the Germain Automotive Group in Naples, Florida. He managed the Lexus operations until 2002 when he and his family purchased the Toyota store in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a journalism/marketing graduate of Oklahoma State University and served as State 4-H president from 1983-1984. He is involved with many community, school, church and non-profit boards in Santa Fe. He learned early in life through competitive sports, 4-H and FarmHouse, that leaders are only as good as their team. He has spent his life building great teams to accomplish great things. His greatest accomplishment is his wonderful wife, Katie, and three children, Caroline (12), Grace (10) and Spencer (8).

	Mike Fayhee (IL ’67) *Partner & Head of Tax Department - McDermott, Will and Emery, LLP* Email: mfayhee@mwe.comfont> “During my undergraduate years at FH, my fraternity brothers became not only a group of personal friends but a group I relied upon for academic support and encouragement. Since graduation those same people have continued to be friends and a great professional network. Over the years I have had opportunity to meet and work with other FH grads from other universities, in each instance confirming my belief in the value of the FH tradition.” BIOGRAPHY Michael R. Fayhee, P.C., is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, resides in its Chicago office. He is head of the firm’s Tax Department. He focuses his practice on transactional matters, with a particular emphasis on mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and the related financing required for such transactions. He is also general counsel to the Dairy Farmers of America, an $8 billion dairy food company. Michael is a frequent lecturer on tax matters and has taught in the master of tax program at John Marshall Law School. He is admitted to the Illinois bar and is a member of the American, Illinois and Chicago bar associations. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1970 and earned his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1973. He and his wife Janice live in Glencoe, Ill. Mike became a Foundation Trustee in January 2008.

	Donald R. Ferguson (KS '63) Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer- EnergX Email: donferguson@att.net ont> “Having come from a very strong family, what I found when I moved into FarmHouse was that everything that I had been taught by my parents was in fact strongly reinforced by the Fraternity. Concepts of hard work, establishing standards of excellence, working to achieve those standards, working together and dealing with each other honestly and openly with a spirit of trust were truly exemplified by the FarmHouse environment there. That has stuck with me the rest of my life and those principles that I learned from my parents which were reinforced by the Fraternity have turned out to be cornerstones of my life since that time” BIOGRAPHY Don is Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for EnergX, having founded the firm in 1997 with two partners. He has more than 35 years of experience in the nuclear industry. With EnergX, he serves in a dual role as a senior management consultant to firms in the defense nuclear and commercial nuclear industries and as CFO on the management team for EnergX. Over the past 17 years, he has completed lengthy consulting assignments with the Kaiser-Hill team that accomplished the cleanup of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) and with Fluor Hanford, Inc. and CH2M HILL Hanford Group, both of whom operate major portions of the DOE's Hanford Site. During the 1980s, he spent five years in various leadership positions on the team of consultants who provided oversight of the utility’s effort to complete the construction and start up the Comanche Peak nuclear power station in central Texas. Before entering the consulting profession, he spent 12 years as a staff member at Argonne National Laboratory, where he led the effort to develop the DOE’s research and development plan for advanced reactor safety technology and subsequently directed the office that managed this R&D program for DOE for several years. Don earned his bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from Kansas State, has a master’s degree in applied nuclear science from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, a PhD in nuclear engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an Executive MBA from the University of Chicago. Don has been a FarmHouse Foundation Trustee since 2005. He and his wife Signe maintain homes in the high mountains of Summit County, Colo., and in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Ill.

	Jim Herbert (TN ’61) Founder, President & CEO – Neogen Corporation E-mail: jherbert@neogen.com "FarmHouse has impacted my life for over four decades As a college student, the fraternity gave me the opportunity to learn and practice many leadership skills that were building blocks for the future. Through the years, I’ve had the opportunity to be associated with many FarmHouse men and find there is a true brotherhood built on common values. The mission and goals of the foundation enable college men to have the same opportunities." BIOGRAPHY Jim Herbert is President, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Neogen Corporation, which develops, manufactures and markets a diverse line of products dedicated to food and animal safety in Lansing, Mich. Since its founding by Jim in 1982, Neogen has pioneered rapid diagnostic testing and offers more than 400 products for food and animal safety. The test kits have gained worldwide use and acceptance, and now serve as the “gold standard” for numerous domestic and international regulatory agencies and industries. Neogen has been named as one of Forbes Magazine’s 200 Best Small Companies in America. Jim serves on Michigan’s Agriculture Policy Committee and on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Strategic Fund, both appointed by the Governor of Michigan. Jim graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1963 with a double major in agriculture science and journalism. As an undergraduate, he served as chapter president. He and his wife, Judi, reside in Lansing, Mich., and have a son and daughter.

	Gary Ludwig (IL '64) President- Heartland Insurance Company E-mail: gary@heartlandins.com “As an undergraduate, I wasn’t involved with the Foundation, and only knew that it was there to help the chapters. Being a Foundation Trustee, it is very clear that the future of FarmHouse is and will continue to be to provide a solid foundation for the Fraternity. The FarmHouse Foundation provides a true tax sheltered vehicle for contributions of any level and to any of the educational programs of FarmHouse. Working with the Foundation Board, alumni and undergraduates from all of the chapters, I have realized we truly have good people in this organization.” BIOGRAPHY Gary is president of the Heartland Insurance Agency and has had a long career in the insurance industry. The Heartland Insurance Agency is a product of a long line of independent agencies in the Vermilion and Champaign counties, in east central Illinois. The company provides property and casualty, life, health, pension products and full service investment banking for personal and commercial needs. Gary earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. He delayed college for one year while he was State FFA President for Illinois and delayed college another year as an FFA exchange student in Denmark. After graduating he served as an officer in the military during the Vietnam War then returned to his hometown of Oakwood, Ill., to begin his career in the insurance industry. Gary is currently the president of the Danville (Ill.) Area Chamber of Commerce, past president of Downtown Danville, Inc., and a board member of the Danville Library Foundation. His wife Brenda is principal of Oakwood High School. They are both avid Illini sport fans and season ticket holders since 1966. Gary is a Foundation Trustee and very involved with the Illinois FarmHouse Chapter, including serving as host to many of the new member class retreats and officer retreats. Gary and Brenda live in Oakwood and have two daughters, one of whom is deceased, and two grandchildren. In his spare time Gary enjoys showing registered Holstein dairy cattle with his son-in-law and grandsons.

	Jeff Muchow (SD '66) President - Food System Associates Email: jpmuchow@everstkc.net "As a founding member of the South Dakota State FarmHouse Chapter, I soon realized that this was an organization that possessed principles, values, integrity and ethics that could make a difference for young men aspiring to become leaders and centers of influence throughout their lives. These attributes have been a guiding light for my life—not only in my professional career but also in my personal, family, community and church activities. Participating in the FarmHouse Foundation is a small way of giving back to an organization that is truly a “difference maker” in the lives of young men and those of us who have benefited from FarmHouse. I encourage others to join me in continuing the support necessary to provide an exciting and solid future for our fraternity." BIOGRAPHY Jeff Muchow is a veteran of food and agricultural processing industries. His current work involves senior management involvement in business startups, mergers and turnaround situations for food processing enterprises. Previously, Jeff was assistant to the Chairman of IBP and president of IBP’s China Joint Venture in pork while employed with IBP, Inc., Dakota Dunes, SD, now a division of Tyson Foods. His other responsibilities while at IBP included development of case ready systems for the pork division and assistance with design of hog production contracts for the hog procurement division. He has also worked on projects in Russia, Bulgaria, and Poland and Brazil during the past 15 years. He was previously COO of Townsend Poultry in Millsboro, DE and Partner in Food System Associates in Washington, DC. He received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from SDSU in 1968, a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri in 1970, and an MBA from the University of Northern Colorado in 1976. Jeff currently serves as Trustee for the FarmHouse Foundation and South Dakota State University Foundation. He is a member of Universal Capital Management Board of Directors, Wilmington, DE; a business development corporation specializing in providing startup capital to new companies.

	Jim Tobin (IA ’76) *Vice President, Industry Affairs – Monsanto* Email: jim.p.tobin@monsanto.comfont> “FarmHouse brothers influenced and encouraged my participation in a 4-H agricultural exchange with the Soviet Union that gave me a much broader view of agriculture. This experience helped me to gain acceptance in a top business school which led to a 25 year career with Monsanto where I have been involved in the introduction of new biotech products.” BIOGRAPHY Jim Tobin is the Vice President of Industry Affairs for the Commercial Acceptance Group at Monsanto. Jim earned a B.S. degree in agricultural education from Iowa State University in 1978. He served as a County Extension Director for the Iowa State Extension Service from 1979 to 1981. He earned an M.B.A. degree from Harvard University in 1983. After completing his studies, Jim joined Monsanto's agricultural unit as Product Supervisor. He served in positions of increasing responsibility in agricultural marketing and commercial development before gaining his current appointment in 1999. Recent assignments include Global Product Management, Director; Global Seed Group, Co-President; Seed Business Team, Director; Director of Marketing for the U.S. Crop Protection Business and Cotton Business Director. These jobs provided valuable opportunities to work with Monsanto's seed, biotech and crop chemical customers and products. Jim lives in St. Louis with his wife, Gina, and their children - Michael, Zachary and Maura. Jim’s son Zach is a sophomore at Iowa State and is a new member of the Iowa State Chapter. In addition, Jim’s father, Kelly (IA ’82), and three brothers, Bernie (IA ’81), Terry (IA ’76) and Kevin (IA ’79) are all members of FarmHouse and at the 100th Anniversary Celebration their mother Irene was recognized with the “Friend of FarmHouse” award on behalf of the Iowa State chapter. He is a trustee of the Missouri 4-H Foundation and the National 4-H Council. He is a member of the American Seed Trade Association and the U.S. Grains Council. Jim joined the Board of Trustees in November 2007.

	John C. Foltz, Ex-Officio (OH ’53) *Retired Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture, USDA* Email: jfoltz@infinet.comfont> “When I was an undergrad at Ohio State, I knew a little about FarmHouse. In the ensuing years, I've learned much more. All I've learned has confirmed my belief that our ATZ Chapter fits the FH mold. Now, we have the opportunity to build on our mutual strengths - as together we work to Build Men. The FarmHouse Foundation provides the means to achieve that goal.” BIOGRAPHY John C. Foltz is retired from his position as USDA Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture and Agency Administrator. John earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Agriculture from Ohio State University with further studies at American University and Notre Dame. He was state FFA president, earned the American Farmer degree and later was on the national staff of Future Farmers of America. He served as a gunnery officer in the U.S. Navy, with the 7th Fleet in the Western Pacific, then as a naval weapons instructor at the Navy’s Officer Candidate School. He was Chief Division of Markets with the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the first executive of the Ohio AgriBusiness Association. He served in the U.S. Department of Agriculture as administrator of the Federal Grain Inspection Service, assistant administrator of the Foreign Agriculture Service and Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture. His last federal appointment was to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He was on the USDA Extension and Research Advisory Board, council chair for the Ohio Agricultural Research and Research Advisory Board and President of the Ohio Agriculture Council. He served as chair of the President’s Alumni Advisory Board for Ohio State University. For three terms he was on the High Council of the Fraternity of Alpha Zeta, then went on to become the first President of the National Alpha Zeta Foundation. He received the Distinguished Service to Agriculture award from Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. He continues to be active in agri-affairs as a Farm Bureau Trustee, member of their Ohio Beef Committee, and chair of the Rural Development Advisory Team. He was a member of the Ohio Agricultural Mission to Israel and now serves on the Ohio-Israel Agricultural Initiative Advisory Committee. He and his wife just concluded leading a successful $15.5 million fund drive to build the new 4-H center at Ohio State – the first “green” building on campus. His wife, Anne also has two degrees from Ohio State University, as do their two children. Their son, Dr. John Foltz is Associate Dean of Agriculture at the University of Idaho and their daughter, Dr. May Beth Arensberg is a registered dietitian for Abbott Labs. John, his son and his grandson are all members of ATZ at Ohio State. His grandson, James, is a member of the Idaho chapter of FarmHouse. John and Anne live in Columbus, Ohio.

The FarmHouse Foundation • 7306 NW Tiffany Spring Parkway, Suite 210 • Kansas City, MO 64153
PH: (816) 891-9445 • FAX: (816) 891-0838 • FHHQ@FarmHouse.org
Foundation Board of Trustees and Staff