The Ag-Urban Leadership Initiative is managed and organized by the Iowa Soybean Association.  The program coordinators for this initiative include:

  
Carol Balvanz
Director of Policy, Marketing and Resource Group, Iowa Soybean Association
cbalvanz@iasoybeans.com

Carol Balvanz joined the Iowa Soybean Association in 2005 as the Director of the newly formed PMR group.  Her duties include overseeing development of non-checkoff revenue sources including membership. She also supervises staff and oversees policy and project development, facilitating discussion within policy.  She also encourages development of new projects and relationships; she develops budgets and tracks progress through strategic planning. Another role she has is to develop strategy for corporate fund-raising.  She also provides information back to both the CEO and the Board of Directors regarding projects and budgets. Last, Carol works to connect with other department heads and outside clients to encourage utilization of services provided by the PMR group.

Prior to the Iowa Soybean Association, Carol worked for the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association where her duties included communication and policy work.  She also was a high-school English teacher earlier.

Valerie Plagge
Producer Services Coordinator/Outreach Marketing Specialist, Iowa Soybean Association
vplagge@iasoybeans.com

Valerie Plagge is the Producer Services Coordinator/Outreach Marketing Specialist for Northeast and North Central Iowa for the Iowa Soybean Association.  At ISA her responsibilities include relationship building, meeting planning, and membership strategy.  She connects projects with ISA members, soybean producers, corporate partners and general public through educational meetings, on-site promotions, county activities and trade shows.  She also serves as the delivery system for projects needing statewide dissemination. While delivering programs she collects and offers input from county groups, directors and individual producers to help develop ideas for new projects.  She is also directly responsible for membership revenue development in her territory.  She also works with several different ISA departments, especially biodiesel, soymeal/livestock relations, research, and soyfoods.

Prior to ISA, Val graduated from Iowa State University in December 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Communications with a minor in agronomy.


FUNDED IN PART BY SOYBEAN CHECKOFF DOLLARS
©2010 Iowa Soybean Association