The U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Board of Directors elected a new slate of officers for the 2026-2027 fiscal year during the organization’s board meeting on January 29, during the 2026 Joint USW/NAWG Winter Meeting in Washington, DC. The new USW officer team will be officially installed at the USW Summer Board Meeting this June in Fargo, North Dakota.
Mark Jossund, who farms near Hendrum, Minnesota, was elected as the new USW Secretary-Treasurer. Jossund, representing the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council (MWRPC), will join the USW officer rotation alongside Gary Millershaski (Kansas) as Chairman, Mike Carstensen (Washington) as Vice Chairman, and Jim Pellman (North Dakota), who will transition to the role of Past Chairman.
“Our farmer leaders are the backbone of everything we do at USW, keeping our strategies grounded in realities of production agriculture while meeting the demands of the global marketplace,” said USW President and CEO Mike Spier. “Mark brings decades of leadership and a clear understanding of international trade to the USW officer team. We are excited to add his perspective to an excellent officer team as we work to develop and expand markets for American farmers.”
Meet the Incoming USW Secretary-Treasurer: Mark Jossund
Jossund brings over two decades of agricultural leadership and a deep-rooted commitment to global trade to the USW officer team. Jossund has been farming since 1983 and wife Brendy joined the operation in 1987 after they married. On the family farm near Hendrum, Minnesota, growing Hard Red Spring (HRS) wheat, soybeans and corn. He has served in various leadership positions, including the Northern Crops Council, the Agricultural Fertilizer Research & Education Council (AFREC) and his local coop board.
A member of the MWRPC since 2005, Jossund has served two terms as the council’s chair and multiple terms on the USW board of directors. His perspective on the importance of international market development has been shaped by hosting trade teams on the family operation and participation in overseas trade missions to Ukraine, Turkey, Egypt, Vietnam and China.
“My overseas missions with USW have been so enlightening, seeing our overseas staff working with the bakers and millers and how respected they are,” Jossund said. “They do such a great job.”
With his son Carson managing more of the daily farm responsibilities and son Bryce assisting on evenings and weekends, Jossund felt the timing was right to dedicate more time and focus to USW in a leadership position. As he prepares to join the officer team in June, he views the role as an opportunity to steward the organization’s legacy and continue to emphasize the necessity of exporting U.S. wheat overseas.
“I’ve been involved in USW for many years, and it’s a great organization,” Jossund said. “I want to help guide the future of U.S. wheat exports, and I hope I can fill the shoes of the people that have gone before me.”