The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) and the Southern Research & Outreach Center (SROC) in Waseca, Minn., have long been partners in research.  

During the last week of July, MSR&PC CEO Tom Slunecka passed the baton, handing his seat on the SROC board over to MSR&PC Director of Research Sergio Cabello Leiva.  

“It was my pleasure to serve as a board member for two terms,” Slunecka said. “Over that time the board has helped to keep the SROC relevant in this ever-changing industry. MSR&PC is a very important contributor to much of the research that occurs at the SROC – from soybean cyst nematode research to biodiesel. This research center and its board remain an effective investment of Minnesota soybean farmer checkoff investments.” 

MSR&PC CEO Tom Slunecka (right) is stepping off the SROC board after two terms.

The SROC board is made up of advisors across the agriculture industry from banking to education, acting as a sounding board for SROC management. The board helps with direction on choosing methods of promoting the work done at SROC and assists with keeping SROC fiscally solidified so the research can continue in the future.  

“I’m excited to collaborate and to help with research ideas that help farmers and their cropping systems to improve their yield and quality,” Cabello Leiva said. “I look forward to the opportunity to know farmer challenges and issues and to support SROC with my background and expertise to share a second opinion on research projects.” 

MSR&PC has a long history of serving on the board with past advisors Senior Director of Product Development & Commercialization Mike Youngerberg and retired Director of Research David Kee. They both sat on the board for several years to provide leadership on behalf of the Council.  

SROC does work that isn’t done anywhere else and the board strives to keep the institution thriving. One of 10 unique sites across Minnesota, SROC conducts innovative basic and applied research in the areas of agricultural production, human health, renewable energy and the environment. It’s a part of the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) and is committed to contributing to sustained social and economic development, the wise use of natural resources and an enhanced quality of life in communities across Minnesota and around the world. 

In 2024, SROC supported 90 field research projects on site with 22 research and support staff members. The site grew 30 crops for research with a total of 926 acres for research and production.  

“There’s a lot of opportunity for research at SROC and around the area of Waseca due to the cropland,” Cabello Leiva said. “It’s an honor to serve on a board that could impact a large part of Minnesota.”