Krista was born and raised on a farm/ranch East of Judith Gap.  She attended Montana State University where she obtained degrees in Agricultural Business, Economics, and Range Science.

Krista worked for Montana Legislative Services for 10 years as a research analyst specializing in water policy including water quantity and water quality, eminent domain, and agricultural issues.  Krista staffed the Environmental Quality Council and the Water Policy Interim Committee in the interim and the House and Senate Natural Resources Committees in the legislative session as well as the House Agriculture Committee.

Krista has run her Government Affairs Consulting business, Blake Creek Project Management, Inc. since 1999 where a majority of her business focuses on the protection of existing water rights and the prior appropriation doctrine, energy production in Montana and agricultural business and grain handling issues.  Krista serves as the executive director for the Montana Agricultural Business Association and the Montana Grain Elevator Association.  Krista also owns, operates, and coaches at FireTower CrossFit in Helena.

In her spare time, Krista is an avid runner and CrossFitter, is on the Lewis and Clark County 4-H Foundation Board, and takes part in other community activities.  She and her two boys have a small acreage in Helena’s East Valley.

Katelin was born and raised on a wheat and cattle ranch in Molt, MT.  She then graduated from MSU-Bozeman with an Agricultural Business degree.  She is now the elevator manager for Busch Ag in Fairfield and Conrad.  She lives on the Fairfield bench with her husband and son where they raise cattle and horses.

Jayson comes to Montana by way of Tennessee. He has a diverse background that includes time spent as a paratrooper in the US Army, a Senior Manager for an oil field service company, and an owner / operator of a small family cattle ranch. He currently is the general manager of Belle Pulses USA in Hingham, MT where he runs all the daily operations and buys pulse crops. He spends most of his time away from work coaching sports, including both football and wrestling. He and his wife Jana live in Chinook, MT with their 6 kids.

Daniel was raised in Southern California were his interest in production ag first grew. He moved to Montana where he graduated from Montana State University with a degree in Agriculture Business and a minor in economics. He worked as a grain originator for EGT in the golden triangle before taking a position as an elevator manager with Gavilon Grain in Fairview, MT.

Justin Hager grew up on his family’s irrigated farm and ranch on the Fairfield Bench before continuing onto MSU Bozeman where he obtained a degree in Agricultural Business Management and a minor in Economics.  After graduating from MSU Bozeman, he managed grain elevators for General Mills and Columbia Grain for 7 years, followed by 2 years managing a grant and loan program for the Montana Department of Agriculture.  Justin has been with Montana Specialty Mills since 2007, trading specialty crops such as mustard, flax, canola, safflower, coriander, and caraway.

Reed grew up in southern Idaho on a Tulip farm.  He went to the U of Idaho studying Folklore History and was an active member of Phi Delta Sigma.  He then worked in Jerome at a yogurt factory before becoming interested in the grain industry.  His first job was in Rupert at an Edamame bean factory with Peavey grain.  After 12 years he was promoted and moved to Carter, MT with Peavey Grain, where he managed the facility and fashioned the idea of no-entry bin sweeps.  In 2002 he took a job with Malteurop as the Country Elevator manager and currently holds that role.  He has a collection of Volkswagon Beetles and enjoys his time tinkering in his shop on them.  His fantastic wife Sonia and 3 boys reside just outside of Fort Benton and enjoy their time traveling national parks.

I started my career in the grain business at the Kershaw elevator in 1983 back when that location was owned by U.G.C.

I worked there as an elevator operator and moved up to superintendent.

From 1985 through 1986 I relocated to a U.G.C. facility in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado where I worked as assistant manager.

Being born and raised in Great Falls, Montana I soon couldn’t stand being away from my home state and returned to work at Kershaw.

I continued work at the Kershaw elevator until 1993 as Superintendent.

July of 1993 I accepted a job as manager of Moore, Montana for Peavey / Conagra which became Gavilon in 2008 where I managed for the next 25 years.

I have seen a lot of change in the grain business and have always enjoyed the challenges.

I recently relocated to Billings, Montana where I work as an area manager for Gavilon.

Kyle Koschmeder leads the CHS Country Operations Group in Cut Bank which includes 5 locations in Northern Montana. He joined CHS in 1998 and has over 20 years of Ag Co-op experience.  Most recently, he was the Grain Merchandiser and Manager at the Shelby Shuttle facility before taking his current role of General Manager. Kyle started his ag career as a teen with United Cooperative in Waukon, Iowa. He joined CHS Mountain West in Missoula in 1998 to work in retail sales and was introduced to the Cut Bank location as part of the two-year CHS management trainee program. He has stayed with CHS Cut Bank ever since, working his way up through progressively responsible positions in grain, agronomy, and overall operations management.

Hello my name is Tanner Denton. I am the Elevator Supervisor at the MolsonCoors grain elevator in Power, MT. I was born and raised on a horse ranch in Sterling, UT. I attended the University of Montana Western on a rodeo scholarship, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business admin. After college I moved to southern Colorado and got hired on as a elevator specialist at the MolsonCoors Monte Vista faciality. After working there for 4 years I got transferred to Power as the Supervisor. I look forward to being on the board representing MolsonCoors. I enjoy being outdoors hunting, fishing, and riding horses.

Gordon grew up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains of Georgia on a cattle, poultry and hay farm.  He attended Montana State University where he obtained his degree in Agricultural Business before beginning his career in the grain industry.  He currently manages EGT’s elevator in Sidney, where he resides with his wife, Liv, and two dogs, Deets and Newt.  When Gordon’s not buying grain or loading shuttles, he can be found hunting or helping his in-laws on their registered Simmental cattle operation.

Trevin was born and raised on a farm and ranch in SE Nebraska growing corn and soybeans and raising cattle. He got his bachelor’s in Agricultural Economics from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and after graduating, moved to Montana. He is now the Grain Merchandiser Trainee at EGT – Tunis. Recently married, he and his wife, Katherine, are living in Fort Benton.