ST. PAUL, Minn., April 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The CHS
Foundation, funded by charitable contributions from CHS Inc.
(NASDAQ: CHSCP, CHSCO, CHSCN, CHSCM, CHSCL), the nation's leading
farmer-owned cooperative, announced the appointment of Nanci Lilja as its new president.
In the role of CHS Foundation president, Lilja will lead the
foundation's work to develop the next generation of agriculture
leaders, champion national agriculture safety and advance rural
vitality in hometown communities.
Lilja's career at CHS spans the last 37 years, with progressive
leadership roles in the organization's legal and compliance areas.
Lilja brings strong knowledge of the cooperative system and rural
communities to her role as foundation president.
"I'm excited to build on the wonderful momentum the CHS
Foundation and our partners are creating across the country to
positively impact agriculture education, farm safety and rural
communities," said Lilja. "I believe in being grounded in work that
helps agricultural communities grow, while keeping the evolving
needs of our communities in focus."
The CHS Foundation trustees approved the appointment of Lilja
replacing Mark Biedenfeld who served
as the CHS Foundation's interim president during the search
process. Biedenfeld will continue to partner with Lilja as the
executive liaison to the foundation working to advance key
opportunity areas.
"Over the past year, we've taken a thoughtful look at the work
of the CHS Foundation and the critical role this president will
play with our partners and our communities," said David Kayser, chair of the CHS Foundation
finance and investment committee. "Nanci is the type of leader we
want bringing continued purpose, focus and results to our work as a
foundation."
Lilja will lead the CHS Foundation's implementation and
activation of two of the largest gifts in foundation history. Last
year, CHS Foundation announced a $3.4
million grant to transform agriculture education with the
University of Minnesota, and also a
$2.5 million grant to create the CHS
Chair in Risk Management and Trading at North
Dakota State University.
Lilja currently serves as the chair of the Heartland Credit
Union Board of Directors and is the incoming chair of the
Certifying Board of the National Association of Legal Assistants.
She has a bachelor's degree in business from St. Mary's University of Minnesota.
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SOURCE CHS Foundation