Washington's Mike Carstensen elected to board of directors
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) board of directors elected new officers for the organization’s 2025/26 fiscal year (July to June) at their meeting January 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Mike Carstensen of Almira, Wash., was newly elected as the organization’s next Secretary-Treasurer and will take office July in 2025.
At the July board meeting in Boise, Idaho, current Secretary-Treasurer Gary Millershaski of Lakin, Kan., will succeed to Vice Chairman and current Vice Chairman Jim Pellman of McClusky, N.D., will take office as Chairman. Current Chairman Clark Hamilton of Ririe, Idaho, will become Past Chairperson.
USW is the export market development organization for the U.S. wheat industry.
“Mike has a deep passion for advancing the wheat industry and has demonstrated strong leadership in various roles throughout his career,” Washington Grain Commission (WGC) CEO Casey Chumrau said. “Farming in Washington, a state that exports 90% of its wheat production, he understands firsthand the critical role that USW plays in supporting farmers and expanding global market opportunities. He is committed to building on this vital work and furthering the success of USW and the wheat industry.”
Carstensen received a bachelor’s degree in business management and accounting from Whitworth University and an MBA with an emphasis in economics from the University of Phoenix. He worked in farm credit before returning to the family farm in 1985 that he, his wife Lorie, and their son Justin currently operate. They raise soft white wheat, club wheat and feed grains using high-level mulch tillage and direct seeding. Carstensen is the Wheat District 1 commissioner for the WGC and served as its chairman in 2021-22. He also serves on the boards of HighLine Grain Growers, Inc.; Tri-Cities Grain; the County Conservation District; and the National Wheat Improvement Committee.
“As a farmer, I believe we have to engage in activities that propel our industry forward,” Carstensen said. “I know the success of our market development efforts is critical to the success and sustainability of my operation. And I’ve seen the great work done by the U.S. Wheat Associates staff. It will be an honor to support these efforts, help guide the organization and represent wheat farmers across the country.”
Jim Pellman and his wife, Candace, have two children and grow wheat, barley, canola, corn, and soybeans on the farm they started in 1990 near McClusky, N.D. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from North Dakota State University, Pellman worked as an ag lender and county supervisor with Farmers Home Administration and then several years as a community banker. He served as Chief and on the board of his community’s volunteer fire department and as chairman of a local non-profit housing organization. Pellman represents Sheridan County on the North Dakota Wheat Commission (NDWC).
Millershaski, his wife Jana, and their sons Jeremy and Kyler grow hard white (HW) and hard red winter (HRW) wheat, dryland corn and milo, and manage a cow/calf operation on their western Kansas farm. He became a Kansas Wheat Commissioner in 2016 and has served as its chairman. He also served as a director of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers (KAWG) from 2007 to 2017 after he received a KAWG scholarship while a member of the Class VIII Kansas Agricultural & Rural Leadership (KARL) program.
Clark Hamilton and his wife Kristy own Hamilton Triple C Farms, a diversified farm in eastern Idaho that they operate with their two sons. They grow four specific wheat classes as well as barley, potatoes, pulses, and alfalfa. Hamilton served as an executive officer of the Idaho Grain Producers Association (IGPA), including one year as president, and is a long-time board member of Ririe Grain and Feed Cooperative, Inc. He is currently a commissioner on the Idaho Wheat Commission and served as chair of that organization. Hamilton remains active in leadership roles in his church and community.
Read the USW press release here. The USW mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers.” USW activities in more than 100 countries are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. USW maintains 15 offices strategically located around the world to help wheat buyers, millers, bakers, wheat food processors and government officials understand the quality, value, and reliability of all six U.S. wheat classes. For more information, visit www.uswheat.org.