Ron currently holds the position of Director of International Grains with Columbia Grain International where he has worked for more than 30 years. Ron has spent the majority of his career trading wheat, both domestically and internationally. He currently has oversight responsibilities over the international grain trading. He has a B.S. in Business Administration from Oregon State University and an M.B.A. from Portland State University. Ron currently lives in Portland, Oregon, USA with his wife Debbie and their twin daughters, Ashley and Heather. Over the years he has gained valuable experience in international trading, contract negotiation, market analysis, inventory management, operations, processing, logistics and customer relations.
Ron has been involved with the Wheat Marketing Center (WMC) for most of his career and on the board since 2013. He currently chairs the Human Resources Committee. According to Ron, WMC is a valued partner of the U.S. wheat industry. The education and research functions performed by WMC staff do a great job of promoting the use of U.S. wheat around the world. Ron recalls that when he began his career at Columbia Grain there was a very wide disconnect between the producers and the milling and baking end users. WMC has done a fantastic job of narrowing this gap through education of all groups along the supply chain. The United States is the leader in supplying quality wheat to the world but is in a constant battle against lower-cost competitors. Looking forward, the industry will continue to rely on the Wheat Marketing Center to help demonstrate to the world the true value of U.S. wheat.