25 Aug KARA Holds 2020 Annual Meeting
Due to cancellation of the in-person 2020 Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association (KARA) annual meeting over concerns with the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), KARA held its 2020 annual meeting via Zoom on August 25 at 9:00 a.m. CST.
Chairman Lance Nelson (Alliance Ag & Grain), and Second Vice Chairman Dustin Kuntz (Harveyville Seed Company Inc.) and President and CEO Ron Seeber administered the KARA annual business meeting obligations and provided KARA’s annual ‘State of the Association’ report.
Minutes from the meeting are below.
KARA Annual Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
(via Zoom)
Chairman Lance Nelson called the Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association Annual Meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. (cst).
The KARA annual meeting was held via Zoom to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
KARA staff provided notice of the annual meeting Zoom to all KARA members, including appropriate call-in information, via electronic mail, beginning August 4, 2020.
Nelson declared a quorum of the members participating in the meeting as required by the KARA bylaws.
Nelson requested a nominating report from Second Vice Chairman Dustin Kuntz. Kuntz presented the nominating report and slate of candidates. The following were nominated for election to the KARA Board of Directors for 2020:
- Gary Beachner, Beachner Grain (Parsons) *Reelected
- Tim Gieseck, Garden City Coop (Garden City) *Reelected
- Jeff Holling, CVA (Beloit) *Reelected
- Rachel Hurley, Bayer (Conroe, TX) *Reelected
- Brian Laverentz, FMC (Overland Park) *Reelected
- Nick Krehbiel, Kanza Coop (Pratt) *New
- Justin Ochs, Skyland Grain (Johnson) *New
- Warren Mayberry, Corteva (Austin, TX) *New
Nelson asked KARA President and CEO Ron Seeber if there were any additional nominations, pursuant to the bylaws. There being none, a motion was made and seconded to approve the candidates, as presented. Motion passed.
Nelson presented a memorandum regarding KARA bylaw amendments. Following KARA’s strategic planning session in 2019, the KARA Board reviewed the Association membership categories and Board of Director seats to ensure that the Board fairly reflected KARA’s current membership. The Board determined that the current makeup of the Board fairly reflected KARA membership and that no changes were necessary concerning member representation on the Board.
In addition, on February 21, 2020, the Board reviewed the Association bylaws to review outdated provisions, provide for the election of a Second Vice Chair, and make other minor changes deemed relevant and necessary. Specifically, the bylaws were changed as shown below:
Article IV, Section 1: The current language references retailer membership on the board to be chosen from the “six districts in the state.” Amended to say that Board representation for agribusiness retailers would be “geographically dispersed across the state.”
Article V, Section 1: Amended to require the election of a Second Vice Chairman position as an additional officer on the board.
Article V, Section 2: Amended to:
— i) allow the Chairman to designate the Second Vice Chairman to sit on any standing or temporary committee in his/her place,
— ii) allow the Chairman to appoint any member of the board of directors to serve as the Chairman of a standing or temporary committee, and
— iii) state that, in the absence or disability of both the Chairman and Vice Chairman, the duties of the Chairman or Vice Chairman shall be performed by the Second Vice Chairman.
Article V, Section 3: Amended to state that the Vice Chairman shall “perform all such duties as from time to time may be assigned by the Chairman.”
Article V, Section 4: Amended to state the duties and authorities of the Second Vice Chairman.
Article VI, Section 1: Amended to add the Second Vice Chairman to the Executive Committee, and remove one director from the Executive Committee to ensure that the full size of the Executive Committee stays at 7 directors.
KARA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
KARA bylaws call for 24 voting members and 2 advisory members (non-voting):
- 12 Retailer Members
- 8 Manufacturer/Distributor Members
- 2 Associate Members
- 2 At-Large Members
- 2 Advisory Members
A motion was made and seconded to approve the KARA bylaw changes as presented. Motion passed.
Nelson asked if there was any new or old business to be discussed. There being none, a motion was made and seconded to conclude the business portion of the annual meeting. Motion passed.
Nelson gave a report on the association’s activities in 2019, including member services, the association expo, and other programs.
Seeber thanked KARA sponsors, reviewed the membership status of the association, gave a financial report, and provided an overview of KARA activities concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.
The annual meeting was adjourned at 9:20 am.
Respectfully Submitted,
_____________________________
Ronald Seeber
President/CEO
Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association