SALT LAKE CITY, August 1, 2024 – The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) elected Verity Ulibarri, a past chairwoman of the United Sorghum Checkoff Program, as its new chairwoman this week during the USGC’s 64th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting held in Salt Lake City.

“We are thrilled to see Verity elected as chairwoman of the U.S. Grains Council,” Sorghum Checkoff CEO Tim Lust said. “Her leadership and dedication to the sorghum industry is exceptional, and we are confident she will continue to drive innovation and growth in international markets for sorghum, and the other commodities the Council represents, in her new role at the USGC.”

Ulibarri brings extensive experience and leadership in the sorghum industry to the forefront of the Council’s efforts. As a former chairwoman of the Sorghum Checkoff, Ulibarri has been instrumental in promoting the value and benefits of sorghum both domestically and internationally.

“I am honored to be elected chairwoman of the U.S. Grains Council,” Ulibarri said. “My experience with the Sorghum Checkoff has prepared me well for this position, and I look forward to working to further the Council’s mission to develop markets, enable trade and improve lives.”

Ulibarri is the second sorghum sector representative to serve as chair of the Council board in recent history, following former Council board chairman Dale Artho, a founding member of the Sorghum Checkoff board and representative of the Texas Grain Sorghum Producers, who served in the early 2000s.

“We are excited to see Ulibarri continue to carry the torch, extending invaluable influence from leaders like Dale Artho, who also served as chairman of the Council,” Sorghum Checkoff Executive Director Norma Ritz Johnson said. “Dale’s contributions continue to inspire and support the leadership of individuals like Verity, and we are proud to see her step into this critical role.”

In addition to Ulibarri, the Sorghum Checkoff is further represented on the USGC board with Sorghum Checkoff Treasurer Kim Baldwin, a sorghum farmer from Inman, Kansas, who was appointed as the Innovation & Sustainability Advisory Team (A-Team) lead. The Council has seven A-Teams that engage members in the organization’s export market development efforts. 

Adam Schindler, a sorghum producer from Reliance, South Dakota, and the immediate past chairman of the Sorghum Checkoff board, was selected as the Council’s Sorghum Sector Chair and will represent sorghum on the Council’s board of directors.

The Sorghum Checkoff is a strategic partner of the USGC, working to promote the reliable quality of U.S. sorghum in markets around the world. More information about the Council’s 64th Annual Board of Delegates meeting, including full election results, can be found at Grains.org.

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The United Sorghum Checkoff Program is a producer-funded organization that is dedicated to improving the sorghum industry through research, promotion and education. For more information about the USCP and other research projects please visit SorghumCheckoff.com.