Randy Whisenhunt
This year’s winner began his lengthy career in the agribusiness industry in 1977 as a young salesman for the Olin Corporation in Little Rock after graduating from Texas Tech University. For over 40 years before his retirement in 2019, he continued to be instrumental in the growth and development of the varied companies he was privileged enough to be a part of including Agrico in Oklahoma, Kentucky and Louisiana, Collingwood Grain in Hutchinson, and finally AgService in Hillsboro where he and his wife have retired.
Throughout every job opportunity and move, he believed he worked with the very finest in the business including Lowell Downey, Mike VanCampen, Al Steele, Mike Kleiber and others who have become life-long friends. He has been a steadfast supporter of our association for more than 30 years by serving as our Chairman of the Board from 2009 through 2011, served as a member of the Board of Directors from 2003 to 2013, supported our TAL program of which he is an alumni, and received the Tomorrow’s Agribusiness Leaders The Max Sudbeck Standing TAL Award in 2011.
In case you didn’t already know, we’re proud to present this year’s Distinguished Service Award to Randy Whisenhunt.
Randy and his wife, Janet, of 47 years are involved in their Hillsboro community and church, and find opportunities to give back to their small town. Randy served three years on the Board of the Hillsboro Community Foundation which provides funding for local nonprofits. He also volunteers his time to help promote the game of pickleball in Hillsboro with the construction of elementary playground pickleball courts and works with newcomers to the sport with weekly games.
Randy and Janet are the parents of two daughters, Julie (and Tony Ford), and Jennifer (and Aaron Rhodebeck) all of New York City, and the proud grandparents of two New York Mets baseball loving grandsons, James and Joseph. When Randy isn’t playing golf or pickleball, or building projects, he and Janet enjoy long road trips with their family, fly-fishing on the Madison River or lounging on a beach somewhere in Florida. He is “living the dream”… just ask him and he’ll tell you all about it, and he might even invite you to join him.