Nebraska Cooperative Council Annual Meeting and Hall of Fame

 KEARNEY, NE--The 79th Annual Meeting of the Nebraska Cooperative Council will be held on Wednesday, November 20th at the Younes Conference Center North in Kearney.  One of the highlights of this year’s meeting will be the induction of two individuals into the Nebraska Cooperative Council Cooperative Hall of Fame.

The Council’s Board of Directors implemented the NCC Cooperative Hall of Fame in 1999 as a way to recognize individuals who, through their service and leadership, have impacted the cooperative system in Nebraska.

On November 20th, the Council will induct Ron Hunter and Bill Sebree into the Nebraska Cooperative Council Hall of Fame. 

Ron Hunter ... Starting his career as a service station manager for the local cooperative in Woodward, OK, Ron quickly worked his way up to assistant manager of the Cooperative. In 1989 Ron became a branch manager of a cooperative headquartered in Shenandoah, IA, which later merged with the Crestland Co-op in Iowa. In 1997 Ron was hired as General Manager of Ag Valley Cooperative, a position he would hold for 20 years until his retirement in 2017. During his tenure, Ag Valley grew with a series of mergers, acquisitions, and strategic development all focused on the best interests of its farmer members and employees.

In addition to managing Ag Valley Cooperative, Ron was a member of the Board of Directors of NIK Nonstock Marketing Cooperative, the Board of Directors of FC Stone, and was active with the Nebraska Cooperative Council serving on the NCC-Political Action Committee from 2000-2002 and again from 2005 to 2015, the Legislative Advisory Committee in 1999-2000 and the Excellence in Cooperative Education Committee in 2003.

Bill Sebree ... After a 20 year career with the Chicago Northwestern Railroad Company and the development of relationships throughout the railroad sector, Bill came to Kearney, Nebraska in 1980 where he worked in merchandising grain and began independently consulting with grain cooperatives regarding the logistics of rail shipping grain.

As a result of his work, NIK Nonstock Marketing Co-op was formed by agricultural cooperatives with Bill as its General Manager, a position he would hold until his retirement in 2003.

Bill joins the Nebraska Cooperative Council Hall of Fame as a result of his pioneering the concept of unit train shipping of grain and fertilizer products which revolutionized the exporting of grain for Nebraska farmer owned cooperatives that had access to rail. The extent of Bill's contacts among railroads serving Nebraska and his logistical knowledge of the grain industry were critical to opening markets and adding value to farmer commodities delivered to their local farmer owned cooperatives.

Working with U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey, Bill was a 19 year member of the National Grain Car Council, an entity formed by the Interstate Commerce Commission, under the auspices of the Surface Transportation Board, that provides a national forum for shippers and railroad companies to resolve issues affecting the grain transportation industry.

Following the Hall of Fame Inductions, the Annual Meeting will conclude with a keynote address by Chuck Conner, President of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.