Each year GEAPS recognizes members and chapters for outstanding accomplishments, including earning credentials from GEAPS and K-State and completing the year without a safety incident.
GEAPS recognizes the following individuals for their accomplishments in 2019.
Credential Earners
The GEAPS/Kansas State University Distance Credentialing Program helps grain handling and processing operations professionals build their job skills. Participants earn base credentials by completing an organized set of six courses, with the option to augment the certification with Specialist Credentials. Credential holders must maintain base credentials by earning a full continuing education unit (CEU) every three years. Those who complete the Credential in Grain Operations Management and all three Specialist Credentials earn a Master Credential. It is the equivalent of 180 hours of training.
GEAPS and K-State recognized the following individuals who earned credentials in 2019:
Master Credential in Grain Operations Management
- Keith Anderson, United Grain Corp, Columbia River Chapter
- Jay Bergland, GEAPS
- Steven Chivilo, Lewis M Carter Mfg Co, Canadian Prairies
- Dennis Doles, AgriMech Consulting LLC, Kansas City
- Mark Emery, CHS Inc
- Wayne Hunter, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
- Randy Tinker, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co, Greater Iowa
Credential in Grain Operations Management
- Crisanto Carrasco, CHS Inc, Gulf South
- Jordan Classen, Cargill Inc, Greater Nebraska
- Paul DeBussac, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
- Paul Evans, Farmer's Cooperative Association, Inc., Kansas City
- Braidy Fehr, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
- Robert Halushka, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
- Susan Kelso, Hansen-Mueller Co
- Rhonda Knutson, United Grain Corp, Minneapolis
- Daryl McCharles, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
- Anthony McElwain, Legacy Farmers Cooperative, Seaway
- Michael O'Connor, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
- Carlos Rodriguez, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
- Dean Sansome, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
- Tiago Van Zeller Teixeira Da Silva, DACSA Atlantic SA, Non-Chapter
- Joshua Thorkildsen, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
Specialist Credential in Grain Handling Equipment Management
- Brett Aanestad, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
- Keith Anderson, United Grain Corp, Columbia River
- Steven Chivilo, Lewis M Carter Mfg Co, Canadian Prairies
- Jacob Crockford, IBT Industrial Solutions, Great Plains
- Mark Emery, CHS Inc
- Wayne Hunter, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
Specialist Credential in Grain Quality Management
- Tina Barrett, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
- Jay Bergland, GEAPS
- Dennis Doles, AgriMech Consulting LLC, Kansas City
- Adam Gorsuch, Michigan Agricultural Commodities, Michigan/So. Ontario
- Calvin Kerr, Goderich Elevators (Division of Parrish & Heimbecker), Michigan/So. Ontario
- Dirk Koster, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
- Tiago Van Zeller, Teixeira Da Silva, DACSA Atlantic SA
- Randy Tinker, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co, Greater Iowa
Specialist Credential in Property and Casualty Risk Management
- Keith Anderson, United Grain Corp, Columbia River
- Jay Bergland, GEAPS
- Steven Chivilo, Lewis M Carter Mfg Co, Canadian Prairies
- Oscar Cuellar, Richardson International Ltd, Non-Chapter
- Dennis Doles, AgriMech Consulting LLC, Kansas City
- Mark Emery, CHS Inc
- Randy Tinker, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co, Greater Iowa
Credential in Grain Processing Management
- Mark Emery, CHS Inc
- Chad Olson, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd
- Matthew Schmitt, Keen Project Solutions LLC, Greater Iowa
- Randy Tinker, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co, Greater Iowa
Chapter Awards
GEAPS also honored two chapters with the Outstanding Chapter Award and Chapter Cup. The Outstanding Chapter Award went to the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, based in Salisbury, MD. Jason Illum, Bedeschi America Inc, was one of the judges for the award. He said two of the things that stood out for him were how the chapter reached out to non-members and incorporated associate members into meetings.
Another judge, David McKerchar, Parrish & Heimbecker, said it was a difficult decision to choose between the top three chapters.
“Some of the things the chapters that were in the top three all did were outstanding,” McKerchar says. “It came down to who was doing everything well and the Mid-Atlantic Chapter did a great job covering all areas of chapter involvement.”
Minneapolis won the Chapter Cup. The Chapter Resource Committee bestows the award annually to the chapter that has highest recruitment of new members and retention of existing members. Minneapolis recruited 39 new members and retained 84.09 percent of their previous members.
Safety Awards
GEAPS longest running awards program is the annual Safety Awards. A complete list of winners is available on the GEAPS website.
Each year the association recognizes the five facilities with the most cumulative hours without an incident and the companies with the most consecutive years without an incident.
Top Facilities: Cumulative Hours
- Bunge North America, Russell, MB - 2,064,247 hours
- The Kelly Group, Decatur, IL - 1,561,204 hours
- Bunge North America, Council Bluffs, IA - 1,546,738 hours
- Zen-Noh Grain Corp, Convent, LA - 1,479,223 hours
- Cargill Inc, Albion, NE - 1,079,384 hours
Top Facilities: Consecutive Years
- Bunge North America DeSoto Landing facility in Arkansas City, AR - 41 years
- Bunge North America Fountain Bluff facility in Grand Tower, IL - 37 years
- Bunge North America facility in Blytheville, AR - 33 years
- Bunge North America facility in Hickman, KY - 33 years
- Bunge North America facility in LaGrange, MO - 33 years
- Bunge North America facility in Yazoo City, MS - 33 years
- Bunge North America facility in Finley, TN - 26 years
- Cargill Inc facility in Lima, OH - 26 years
- Bunge North America facility in Albany, IL - 25 years
