Following a year as president, Worthington farmer Bill Gordon was named chairman of the American Soybean Association during the organization’s virtual board meeting.

Gordon became the sixth Minnesota farmer to serve as ASA president and the 82nd in the advocacy organization’s history. He previously served as ASA vice president. 

After a smooth start to his presidency, COVID-19 altered the trajectory of Gordon’s term, keeping him close to home for much of 2020. But Gordon said he was grateful for the opportunity, crediting ASA’s leadership for continuing to advocate for soybean farmers despite an unexpected pivot toward electronic advocacy when the pandemic hit in March.

“What we knew as a standard of operation, COVID basically flipped on its head,” he told Soybean Business in an upcoming feature, “but I compliment our growers and staff. We didn’t miss a beat with our advocacy work for the American farmer. They handled it as professionally as anybody could ever ask them to.”

Gordon started his agricultural leadership career in 2004 as an ASA Young Leader, later becoming vice president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association. During his seven years on the ASA board, Gordon has delved into public affairs, biodiesel and transportation issues, environmental stewardship and international marketing. In 2019, he represented ASA and Minnesota farmers on international trade missions to Southeast Asia and South America. 

Gordon, his wife, Dr. Dawn Gordon, and his parents, Galen and Colleen, grow corn and soybeans on their 2,000-acre family farm. An additional 400 acres are set aside for buffer strips and wetlands. In 2019, Bill’s family was named Nobles County’s “Farm Family of the Year” by the University of Minnesota. The Gordons live on a fourth-generation family farm that marked its 100th anniversary in 2020. Gordon is the owner of Worthington Tax and Business service, serves on the Nobles County Corn and Soybean Growers Board and is a board director for a mutual insurance company. Bill and Dawn are avid scuba divers and raise four children: Luke, Lance, Anna and Liam. 

“This is a tribute to these leadership programs in the state associations,” Gordon said of his volunteer positions. “MSGA allowed me to have that ability to lead.”

South Dakota farmer Kevin Scott will replace Gordon as president. Redwood County farmer George Goblish was named as an at-large member of ASA’s Governing Committee.