Young Farmers Conference

Nic McCarthy is the Chief Executive Officer/President.
 
Through Nic's career at CVA, he has experienced all aspects of the business, giving him great respect for CVA's culture. Nic has served as an Applicator, Field Sales Agronomist, Location Manager, Regional Operation Manager, and VP of Operations. Still, his most compelling experiences are welcoming new opportunities for employees and patrons through mergers, growth, and progression since 2003. Most importantly, Nic has learned that safety is the utmost priority when working and serving our patrons. 
 
Nic and his wife, Jenny have two children Marshall and Maggie. Their family enjoys time spent together experiencing outdoor activities like golf, fishing, bike riding, or any competitive activity Maggie and Nic can take on Jenny and Marshall! However, Nic and Jenny's favorite hobby is watching their kids grow up.
 
Nic holds an Associates of Applied Science in Agronomy from Northeast Community College.
 
Nic serves on the board for Norkan LLC, Ag Agronomy LLC, and is currently a member of the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee for the Environmental Protection Agency. He has also served on numerous community and church boards, founded a nonprofit community support LLC. which he actively plays an advisory role in.

Jeff Ingalls is the Senior Vice President of Energy.  Jeff has had career development in Feed and Energy. From the beginning of his career as a Livestock Production Specialist for Farmland Industries to being the Feed Department Manager position at Frontier Co-op. At Frontier Cooperative, he took on a couple of additional roles, such as Purchasing Manager and Energy Department Manager. This role is where he gained the knowledge and expertise of Energy. 
 
Jeff currently sits on the Nebraska Petroleum Marketers (NPCA) board and a representative on the  Polk County 4-H Council. He has also served on his community school board and Nebraska Propane Association (NPGA) board. While president of NPGA, liability legislation was successfully passed for all propane retailers. Jeff is also a certified auctioneer.

Ingalls attended the University of Lincoln and obtained a degree in Business Agriculture. 
 
Jeff is married to his high school sweetheart, Christy. They have three children Brenna, Megan, and Garrett.

Doug Rowe is the Senior Vice President of Feed. 

Jeff Bechard is the SVP of Grain. He was raised on a diversified crop and livestock farm near Clay Center, KS. Throughout his youth, he took an active role in both 4-H and FFA and attributes a lot of his personal development to those organizations. He graduated from Kansas State University in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in Agriculture Economics. 

Jeff's 30+ years career in the grain industry began in grain facility management with ConAgra's wheat milling division. From 1987-1997, Jeff managed elevator operations in Kansas for two separate family-owned grain companies. From 1997-1999 he was the Grain Division Manager for Farmway Co-op, Inc. In 1999, he helped create AgMark LLC, a grain marketing organization based in North Central Kansas. He served as Marketing Manager until 2002 when he was promoted to president. In 2014, Jeff joined Rich Connell Agri-Search and recruited talent for the grain industry. Jeff returned to management in 2018 as VP of Grain for Frenchman Valley Co-op until he joined CVA in 2021. Jeff serves as a board member for the National Grain and Feed Association. 

I’m 37 years old, married with three kids and two dogs. I enjoy exercising, sipping bourbon, smoking a cigar, whitetail deer hunting, and spending quality time with my wife. As the co-founder and CEO of BAMWX, I’ve spent the last 13 years pursuing my passion: helping people understand how weather impacts their operations. My mission is to show that it’s possible to accurately predict and proactively respond to inclement weather, empowering businesses to mitigate risks and thrive.

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Jordan Dux serves as the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation's Senior Director of National Affairs having started with the organization in 2009. Jordan is responsible for managing NEFB's national lobbying, regulatory, and policy development programs. His responsibilities require him to work closely with Nebraska's Congressional Delegation as well as the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Jordan grew up on a hog operation near Fairbury, Neb. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science, as well as religious studies from Doane College in May 2007. Before arriving at Nebraska Farm Bureau, Jordan worked on agricultural issues for Nebraska's Third District Congressman Adrian Smith, and also spent time in Washington, D.C., working in the public policy department of the National Grange. 

Jordan, along with his wife and their two daughters, reside in their hometown of Fairbury, Neb., where they remain involved in their family's showpig operation. 

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Shaun Haney is the founder of RealAgriculture, a leading North American ag media platform delivering news and insights on policy, agronomy, and farm management. He hosts RealAg Radio on SiriusXM’s Rural Radio Channel 147 and RealAg on the Weekend across Saskatchewan and Alberta. Shaun is also a regular contributor to RFD-TV, Agritalk, and US Farm Report, and co-leads RealAgristudies, a farmer-focused market research initiative launched in 2019.

I have spent the past eight years in the fertilizer industry, working on both the sales and procurement sides of the business. I currently manage fertilizer procurement for Consolidated Ag Solutions, where I oversee all fertilizer product lines. My focus is on ensuring a competitive, reliable supply for our member owners while navigating the dynamics of global markets and supply chains.

Dr. Joe Luck joined the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in April, 2012 and currently serves as Professor and Extension Specialist for Precision Agriculture as well as the Associate Director for the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center. 

His responsibilities include developing extension and research programs regarding the application of precision agriculture technologies in crop production as well as teaching in this focus area. He works closely with interdisciplinary teams to evaluate technologies including crop canopy sensors for nitrogen application and advanced pesticide application systems. 

Dr. Luck received his Master’s and Doctorate degrees from the University of Kentucky in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. He has received numerous awards for both research and extension activities including the Pierre Roberts Young Scientist award from the International Society of Precision Agriculture in 2020 as well as the Larry Turner Young Extension Professional award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers in 2017.