We would like to welcome Jim Hoyt, the newest addition to the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area Board of Trustees. Hoyt retired as Vice President for GROWMARK, Inc., an international agricultural cooperative based in Bloomington, Illinois. In his role, at retirement, he provided management direction to the company’s strategic planning function and the Corporate Communications, Marketing Services, Government Affairs, and Flight Operations business units.
His 41 year career with the GROWMARK System began in 1971 at a member cooperative in northeast Iowa. In 1973 he joined FS Services, Inc., a predecessor of GROWMARK. Jim held a variety of marketing and management responsibilities in GROWMARK’s U.S. regions and also as Executive Director, Canadian Operations from 1996-2004.
Jim currently serves on the boards of ACDI/VOCA, an international co-operative development organization, the Iowa FFA Foundation and the St Francis of Assisi Board of Education. He is active as a volunteer with the World Food Prize, based in Des Moines, Iowa, the Iowa State Fair and is currently consulting with agricultural cooperatives with domestic and international operations.
During his time in Canada, Jim served on the board and executive committee of the Canadian Co-operative Association. He is a recipient of the “Cooperative Spirit Award” for Outstanding Contributions to CCA and the “Reginald J. Cressman ACE Award” recognizing cooperative staff development. Additionally he served as delegate to The Cooperators Insurance Group.
As a youth Jim was State President of the Iowa FFA. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Jim and his wife Patricia have 3 children, 6 grandchildren, and reside in Johnston, Iowa.
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