| Fourth generation farmer; grew up Reddick, Illinois, now resides in Essex, Illinois; B.A. in Agribusiness, Illinois State University; 19-year member of the Kankakee County Farm Bureau Board of Directors; lifelong advocate for conservation and environmental awareness; 25-year owner and operator of his family-owned farm; married, father of three, lost one daughter to leukemia in 2011; has since become a team leader for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. |