Krissek Receives 2024 Kansas Corn Impact Award

Greg Krissek, Manhattan, received the Kansas Corn Impact Award at the 2024 Kansas Corn Symposium at Salina last week. Krissek retired in May after serving as Kansas Corn CEO for nine years. The Kansas Corn Impact Award was created to recognize Kansas leaders who embody the mission of Kansas Corn and have had an extraordinary impact on the state’s corn industry.

Krissek began his career in agriculture in the 1990s at the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) working as a research analyst and then as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. He first joined the staff of the Kansas Corn and Kansas Grain Sorghum associations from 2000 to 2003. He was Director of Government Affairs at ethanol plant design company ICM and manager at Kennedy & Coe. Krissek returned to Kansas Corn to serve as CEO in 2014 until his retirement in 2023. Over the years, Greg has served on many ethanol and agricultural association boards, and on several ethanol plant boards of directors. He remains active in agriculture groups including the U.S. Grains Council and the Triazine Network.

Presenters of the award remembered Greg as a visionary who set a new course for Kansas Corn and as collaborative leader who connected people and ideas.

Former Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Allie Devine, now of Devine and Donley LLC, said Krissek made his mark on Kansas Corn and on agriculture.

“From my perspective, it’s how you work and work with an organization to build it and Greg’s done that with the Corn Growers. The Corn Growers are respected in the capital, they’re respected in Washington,” she said. “Greg is always patient and always loyal to whether it’s his family, his friends, the organizations he’s worked with, he’s always done a fabulous thing of making other people look good and helping them.”

Kansas Corn Commission Chair Kent Moore said Krissek assembled an excellent staff and made the work for the boards enjoyable.

“It was fun because the things he identified as important to Kansas Corn are truly important. They’re things people need to be involved in, have a vested interest in and need to be working together to make it happen,” Moore said.

KCGA President Brent Rogers said Krissek’s national leadership on atrazine regulation is one issue that has been key to farmers.

“When I think of one thing that Greg has done, it’s his leadership with atrazine. He’s been a major voice for that nationally,” Rogers said. “Atrazine is the most important input I use on my farm and that’s a fight worth fighting for.”

Nebraska Corn CEO Kelly Brunkhorst said Krissek was a mentor, and his knowledge of the ethanol industry was important in creating his vision for the organization.

“It’s the impact he’s had from being a mentor and from the vision he brought into not only ethanol but a number of conversations because of Greg’s tenure in the industry,” Brunkhorst said.

Mary Jane Stankiewicz who served with Krissek as an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture at KDA said Krissek’s urban upbringing did not deter him from being a leader in agriculture.

“The ag industry can be a little tough on outsiders. He showed a genuine interest, not only in the issues but in the people and the outcome and that shined through his whole career,” she said. “Whether you were his colleague or his friend, there was a genuine interest in finding a good outcome. So he came from a very urban area to being one of the recognized leaders in the ag industry.”

Previous Kansas Corn Impact Award winners include:

• White Cloud farmer Ken McCauley who served as president of both Kansas Corn Growers Association and the National Corn Growers Association.
• Marion farmer Terry Vinduska, who served as chair of the Kansas Corn Commission and the U.S. Grains Council.
• Farm broadcaster Kelly Lenz, Topeka, who was WIBW 580AM radio’s farm director for many years.
• Lawrence farmer Roger Pine, who served as KCGA and NCGA president.
• Washington farmer Sharon Schwartz, who was a longtime Kansas legislative leader.
• Ag economist and policy expert and K-State professor Barry Flinchbaugh.
• Marquette farmer Don Lundquist, who served KCGA president and NCGA board member.

The Kansas Corn Growers Association is the membership-based organization that represents growers on legislative and regulatory issues and promotes Kansas corn. The Kansas Corn Commission is a grower-elected board that invests the one-cent per bushel Kansas corn checkoff in the areas of market development, education, promotion and research.

###