AURI is governed by a board of directors made up of representatives of the state’s commodity groups, agribusiness and members of the Minnesota House and Senate agriculture committees. Meetings of the board are open to the public.
Kenneth Asp
Kenneth Asp farms 2,400 acres in Pennington County, growing primarily wheat and soybeans. Ken joined the AURI Board as a representative of the Minnesota Wheat Industry. He is a U.S. Navy Veteran and a graduate of the University of Minnesota Crookston with degrees in Agronomy and Aviation. Ken served nine years on the Pennington County… Continue Reading Kenneth Asp
Jeff Grev
Jeff Grev began his career as a sales representative at Hormel Foods in 1984 and has progressed through a variety of sales, marketing, new product development, and business development roles. Jeff has 30 years of experience generating success in consumer packaged goods sales, marketing, new product development, licensing, joint ventures and acquisitions. Business development successes… Continue Reading Jeff Grev
Jerry Hasnedl
Jerry Hasnedl represents a statewide farm organization on the AURI Board of Directors. Hasnedl, a member of the Minnesota Farmers Union, resides on his 3,200 acre family farm in St. Hilaire, Minnesota. Hasnedl received his degree in agricultural economics from Northland Community College before serving in the U.S. Air Force. He was on the CHS… Continue Reading Jerry Hasnedl
Lauren McNamara
Lauren McNamara is the Vice President and Assistant General Manager of the Plant Based Food and Beverage Business at SunOpta. She leads a business that includes manufacturing finished goods for brands & retailers, bringing to market innovative plant-based ingredients, and managing 3 consumer brands. In 2022, Lauren was named one of Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s… Continue Reading Lauren McNamara
Carolyn Olson
Carolyn Olson raises organic corn, soybeans, small grains and alfalfa with her husband on a 1,100 acre farm near Cottonwood, Minnesota. They also finish approximately 14,000 conventional hogs annually. Carolyn is the current District III Director on the Minnesota Farm Bureau Board of Directors, past president of the Lyon County Farm Bureau, chair of the… Continue Reading Carolyn Olson
Sen. Aric Putnam
Senator Aric Putnam is the Chair of the Senate Agriculture, Broadband & Rural Development Committee. He represents Senate District 14 which includes Benton, Sherburne and Stearns counties in the St. Cloud Area of Central Minnesota. Senator Putnam is a professor at St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict. He is also the Vice… Continue Reading Sen. Aric Putnam
John Schafer
John Schafer represents the Minnesota Beef Council on the AURI Board of Directors. Schafer currently serves as the chair of the research committee of the Minnesota Beef Council, and serves on the budget committee. Schafer raises Hereford cattle, corn, soybean, alfalfa and grass in Buffalo Lake, Minnesota. Schafer graduated from the University of Minnesota with… Continue Reading John Schafer
Federico A. Tripodi
Federico Tripodi serves as the chair of AURI’s Board of Directors and has served as a public company executive with extensive experience in agricultural, food and health R&D and product development. During his two-decade career in the ag tech and seed industry, he has led organizations in both Fortune 500 and entrepreneurial settings. Most recently,… Continue Reading Federico A. Tripodi
Joe Serbus
Joe Serbus has been farming for more than 40 years in Renville County, where he grows corn, soybeans and sweetcorn on his third-generation operation. As a lifetime farmer, Joe has served his community with distinction by volunteering on several boards for numerous organizations. In 2016, Joe was elected to serve as the Minnesota Soybean Research… Continue Reading Joe Serbus
Rep. Samantha Vang
Representative Samantha Vang is the Chair of the House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee. She represents House District 38B which includes suburbs to the North and West of Minneapolis including the cities of Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center. Representative Vang is a Housing advocate. She also serves on the Environment and Natural Resources Finance and… Continue Reading Rep. Samantha Vang
Jon Veldhouse
Jon Veldhouse is the CEO of Qore LLC, a joint venture of Cargill and HELM-AG. Qore supports material producers and brand owners in making more sustainable products using QIRA® a renewable, drop-in chemical intermediate. Jon has a unique mix of technical and commercial expertise that have been developed across several roles in start-up environments, Cargill,… Continue Reading Jon Veldhouse