Cargill's Mark Poeschl chosen as next FFA CEO

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2016 – A top Cargill executive and past Nebraska state FFA officer has been chosen as the next chief executive officer of the National FFA Organization and the National FFA Foundation.

Mark Poeschl, of Brookville, Ohio, will take over the positions on Aug. 1, succeeding W. Dwight Armstrong, who is retiring after leading the organization for the past seven years. A former FFA member, Poeschl currently serves as vice president and group director of stakeholder engagement with Cargill Animal Nutrition.

“I am honored and excited to assume this leadership role in the FFA, an organization that has been instrumental in both my personal and career development,” Poeschl said in a news release. “I have deep admiration and affection for the FFA and I look forward to contributing to the continued growth and success of the organization.”

Poeschl, a 1983 graduate of University of Nebraska-Lincoln, began his career at Ralston Purina in St. Louis. In 1987 he joined the animal nutrition firm Carl S. Akey Inc. in Lewisburg, Ohio, where he co-led the company's sale to Provimi Holding BV. He served as president and CEO of North American Nutrition, a Provimi subsidiary, from 2007 to 2009, and then group vice president at Provimi Holding before moving to Cargill Animal Nutrition in 2011.  

The Indianapolis-based National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to almost 630,000 student members who belong to 7,757 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 

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