St. Louis, MO – “The Mid America CropLife Association (MACA) is pleased to

announce Rodney Schmidt as our new Executive Director as we continue to

execute the strategic plan in supporting our members, advancing our educational

goals, and addressing critical member issues,” said MACA President Michael

Lehman.

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Schmidt joins MACA after an extensive career in the crop protection and seed industry. He has worked for a variety of companies including ICI Americas, American Cyanamid, Rhone Poulenc, Aventis and most recently Bayer Crop Science as a National and Regional Strategic Account Manager. He’s a graduate of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Plant and Soil Science, Agronomy.

 

Schmidt has been a member of MACA for more than 10 years and served on a variety of our committees including the office of 2021-2022 MACA President. When notified of his selection as the new MACA Executive Director, Schmidt said, “I am excited to step into this role of serving members. I look forward to working with volunteers and staff, while building on the history of MACA in our complex agriculture environment.”

 

“We believe that Rodney will be an outstanding leader as we achieve the mission and goals of MACA,” said MACA President Michael Lehman. Lehman added, “His professional background, attention to details, and outgoing personality will be a great benefit to the association. He has a long-term commitment of service to the– 2 – agricultural industry starting with the Michigan Agri-Business Association at the beginning of his career and the past decade with MACA.”

 

MACA will transition the responsibilities of Executive Director during the first quarter of 2025. Schmidt resides in Noblesville, Indiana, with his wife, Diane. Their two daughters and son-In-law live in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

 

The search for the MACA Executive Director was conducted with the assistance of

Laura Blomme, Hedlin Ag Enterprises, which specializes in retained executive

search for agribusinesses and agricultural associations throughout the United

States.

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