Susan Brocksmith, a farmer from Knox County, was recently elected as the 2026 president of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC), the state’s corn checkoff program, during a meeting.
Elected as vice president was Noblesville, Ind. farmer Adam Sheller. Daleville, Ind., farmer Ron Hensley is the new board secretary, and Roanoke, Ind., farmer Jerry Osterholt was elected as the board’s treasurer. Leading ICMC’s Sustainability and Value Creation Committee is Matthew Lucas, a farmer from Brownstown, Ind.; and Windfall, Ind., farmer Scott Smith is the new chair of ICMC’s Market Development Committee.
Brocksmith grows corn and soybeans on their farm near Vincennes, Ind. along with her husband, Mike. All of their crops are non-GMO, and they practice no-till with cover crops. Brocksmith is also Dean of the College of Business and Public Service at Vincennes University. She was the ICMC board secretary in 2025. Brocksmith follows Greensburg, Ind., farmer Tim Gauck who completed two years as board president.
“I am deeply humbled to serve as President of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council,” Brocksmith said. “This role is ultimately about serving the hardworking corn farmers across our state. We are preparing to tackle a robust agenda focused on finding new destinations for Indiana corn and expanding our customer base worldwide. I look forward to working to create new value for every Indiana farmer.”
Sheller moves from chair of the Sustainability and Value Creation Committee in 2025 to vice president. Sheller grows corn and soybeans and also raises goats on his Hamilton County farm. A farmer since 2016, he has a degree in agricultural education from Purdue University. Sheller has an off-farm job in insurance sales. He is an at-large representative on the ICMC board.
Other executive officers
After serving as treasurer last year, Hensley will be secretary in 2026. He represents District 6, which includes Blackford, Jay, Delaware, Henry, Randolph, Wayne, Fayette and Union counties. A full-time farmer since 1975, Hensley and his wife, Teresa, grows corn and soybeans on his farm in Delaware and Madison counties. He is retired from AT&T and has also served as member of the Delaware County Wastewater board.
Osterholt was picked to serve as the board’s treasurer for 2026. He grows corn and soybeans along with his wife, Deb, on Osterholt Farms in Huntington and Allen counties. Osterholt represents District 3, which includes the counties of LaGrange, Steuben, Noble, DeKalb, Whitley, Allen, Huntington, Wells and Adams. A first-generation farmer, Osterholt started farming in 1974. He worked in machine repair for 35 years with Dana Corp. Osterholt has also served with the Indiana Soybean Alliance.
Lucas will lead the Sustainability and Value Creation Committee, which studies various production techniques that improve the environmental, social and economic sustainability of Indiana farms. Lucas farms in a partnership with his father, James, and he represents District 8 on the ICMC board. District 8 includes the counties of Brown, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Lawrence, Monroe, Orange, Perry and Washington. A full-time farmer since 2018, Lucas grows corn and soybeans on his farm in Jackson County. His farm also finishes 24,000 hogs per year. He has a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness from Purdue University.
Smith was selected as chair of the Market Development Committee. This committee works to expand export opportunities and increase the value of Indiana’s corn crop. Smith represents District 5, which includes the counties of Bartholomew, Boone, Clinton, Decatur, Grant, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Howard, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Rush, Shelby and Tipton. Along with his wife, Terri, Smith owns Triple S Smith Farms and Sharp-View Farms in Tipton, Grant, Madison and Howard counties. He has a diversified, third-generation farm that produces corn, soybeans and process tomatoes. A full-time farmer, Smith began farming in 1974. He is a past president of the Indiana Corn Growers Association.
Five join ICMC board
ICMC welcomed five new directors – four elected and one appointed – to the board this week. Elected were Fowler, Ind., farmer Heather Nally; Brazil, Ind., farmer Kevin Cox, Huntingburg, Ind., farmer Alex Hohl and Mishawaka, Ind., farmer Kurt Laidig. Appointed to finish a vacant position in District 9 is Scottsburg, Ind., farmer Ethan McNeely.
Nally and her husband, Patrick, grow corn, soybeans and elderberries on their Benton County farm. A part-time farmer, she also works for the Benton County Soil and Water Conservation District. She represents District 1, which includes Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Starke, Pulaski, Jasper, White, Benton, and Newton counties. Nally graduated from Purdue University with a degree in agriculture in 1998.
Cox and his wife, Brenda, grow corn and soybeans on their farm in Clay, Parke, Putnam and Vigo counties. He represents District 4, which includes Warren, Tippecanoe, Montgomery, Putnam, Owen, Clay, Vigo, Parke, Vermillion, and Fountain counties. A full-time farmer, Cox has been a representative on many boards including the Indiana Soybean Alliance, Farm Credit Mid-America, Parke County REMC and Purdue Extension.
Hohl is a corn grower from Dubois County, and he is the seventh generation to work his family’s farm. He also has a cattle herd and finishes steers. Hohl represents District 7, which includes Sullivan, Greene, Daviess, Martin, Knox, Dubois, Pike, Gibson, Warrick, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Posey counties. In addition to a degree from Indiana State University, Hohl also earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern Indiana.
Along with Sheller, Laidig was elected as an at-large candidate to the board. At-large members represent farmers from all of Indiana. Laidig grows corn and soybeans and operates a wean-to-finish hog operation on his farm in St. Joseph County. He farms with his son, Andrew; daughter-in-law, Lindsay; and wife, Rhonda. He has been a full-time farmer since 1976. Laidig earned a degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University in 1976.
McNeely grows corn, soybeans and hay on a farm in Scott County. A part-time farmer, he also works as a credit officer for Farm Credit MidAmerica. He represents District 9, which includes the counties of Franklin, Jennings, Jefferson, Ripley, Dearborn, Ohio, Clark, Switzerland and Scott. McNeely is a 2019 Purdue University graduate with a degree in agricultural economics.
Four retiring from the board
Four ICMC board members completed their third, three-year terms earlier this week including Natasha Cox from Fowler, Ind.; Paul Hodgen of Roachdale, Ind.; J.R. Roesner of Ferdinand, Ind.; and David Ring of Huntingburg, Ind.
Cox and her husband, Brent, grow corn and soybeans on their farm in Benton County. She represented District 1. Cox works at Farm Credit Mid-America, and she has a degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University.
Hodgen and his wife, Jennie, grow corn, soybeans and raise beef cattle on their farm in Putnam, Hendricks, Montgomery and Tippecanoe counties. He represented District 4 and was a past ICMC president. He earned degrees from Oklahoma State University and a doctorate from the University of Nebraska.
Roesner grows corn and soybeans on his farm that touches Dubois, Pike, Spencer and Warrick counties. He was elected to the National Corn Growers Association’s Corn Board in 2022, and he’s a member of the Indiana Corn Growers Association. Roesner earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.
Ring grows corn, soybeans and wheat and raises turkey on his farm in Dubois, Spencer and Warrick counties. Ring was an at-large representative on the ICMC board. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business education from Oakland City University and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Evansville.
Source: Indiana Corn Marketing Council
