Central Valley Ag announces New Board Leadership

Central Valley Ag Cooperative has announced a transition of the leadership of its board of directors. Dave Beckman, previous board chairman, has stepped down from chairman. Luke Carlson, a board member from York, Neb., has been unanimously elected to serve as chairman. Dave will continue to serve on the board of directors throughout the year. He plans to help with the transition until his term is up in November 2022.

Dave Beckman, a producer from Elgin, Neb., began his service on CVA’s predecessor cooperative boards in 1991 when he was elected to Farmers Co-op Exchange (FCX). “I certainly had no intention of serving as a director for 30 years, but the time has passed quickly,” said Dave. His passion for the co-op kept him an active member on the board, eventually taking the chairman position in the mid-90s. Throughout various mergers and acquisitions, Dave held his position as chairman from 1999 until December 2021.

“The opportunity to work with many talented co-op directors and management people, while positioning our cooperative to meet the needs of our owners both today and in the future, is what kept drawing me back to serve,” stated Beckman. “I have been blessed to serve as board chairman for many years, that responsibility has now been passed to Luke Carlson. Luke has shown great leadership in the boardroom, and I am excited to see what the future holds.”

Carlson produces corn and soybeans near Silver Creek, Neb.; he is passionate about the agricultural industry and obtained his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science from Northwest Missouri State University. He has served as a leader for various local organizations, such as the York County Farm Bureau and the Polk County Recreation Association. Luke served as an associate director on the Central Valley Ag board for one year before being elected to the board by the patrons in 2017. He has completed all four phases of the cooperative council director training and has attended FC Services Advanced Governance Series Director Training. 

“I would like to thank Dave for his years of leadership and dedication to CVA. His guidance has placed CVA into a position to maintain relevance in an extremely competitive marketplace for generations to come,” said Luke. “It is my honor and pleasure to serve as the next chairman of Central Valley Ag. I look forward to working together with the board and management to strategically guide CVA.”

Mark Philips of Akron, Iowa, will serve alongside Luke as vice chairman, and Jacob Porter of Mankato, Kansas, will serve as secretary on the Central Valley Ag board of directors.