Our Board of Directors

Conley is the Midwest General Manager of Smithfield in Algona, Iowa overseeing a sow base of 148,000, along with 540 employees and over 500 contract sites in Iowa, Oklahoma, Missouri, and South Dakota and Colorado. The Midwest operation finishes about 3.8 million market pigs each year.

 

Conley is a Past President of the National Pork Board and a past member of the National Pork Board Board of Directors and Iowa Pork Producer Association. He is currently serving on the National Pork Board Trade Committee & USMEF Executive Committee as Chairman.

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On a local basis, Conley is an Algona Morwens Kiwanis member and has been Past President of that organization. He currently serves as a Vice President and Board Member of the Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona as well as serving on the Kossuth Regional Health Center Foundation Board of Directors.  

 

Conley and his wife, Kim, have a son, Mark and wife Amy with three children, and a daughter, Kara and husband Dan with two children.  

Nick Gilliland is the Midwest Business Development Manager for Smithfield Foods in Algona, Iowa. He brings extensive experience in livestock agriculture development. Prior to being involved in the development side of agriculture, Nick began his career as an agronomist.

 

Born and raised in Algona, Iowa, Nick is driven by the desire to attract established businesses to the local area, as well as encourage entrepreneurship.  He views education in the trade fields to be crucial to the sustainability of our community.

 

Nick is a Veteran of the United States Air Force where he served six years of active duty, as well as two additional years in the Air Guard while studying Bio Renewable Fuels and Ag Studies.

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Nick and his wife, Sara, have two young daughters and reside in Algona.

Kristie Brown is Executive Vice President of Trust & Human Resources Development at Iowa State Bank in Algona, Iowa. As the bank’s trust officer since 1989, Kristie oversees the full-service trust department and farm management services. She grew up on a grain and livestock farm in central Iowa, attended the University of Northern Iowa earning a BA in Accounting, and is a CPA.  

 

Kristie believes in strong community volunteerism. She works with the Kossuth Regional Health Center Foundation, Kossuth County Community Foundation, Haggard-Twogood Charitable Trust, Algona Community School Foundation, Algona Family YMCA, Algona Rotary Club and First Lutheran Church of Algona.  

 

Kristie and her husband, Jerry, reside in Algona.

Kirk is the retired President/CEO of Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company, a nationally recognized leader providing insurance and risk management solutions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The home office is in Algona, IA. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Pharmacists Mutual and its subsidiaries.

 

Kirk holds degrees from Drake University, Business/Political Science, and Sophia University, Sociology/Psychology. He completed courses at the Insurance Institute of America to obtain an Associate Degree in RiskManagement and the Charter Property Casualty Underwriter, CPCU designation and has held several State and National insurance industry leadership positions.  

 

In the Algona community, for almost 60 years, Kirk has been involved with advancing educational opportunities, while improving, growing and promoting the area. He has also served in a number of leadership positions. Kirk brings experience in founding and developing foundations in the community and promoting philanthropy to make a difference for today and for the future.  

 

Kirk and his wife, Julie, have four grown and married children and a family of 10 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

Donna Kitzinger is from Algona, Iowa. She graduated from Minnesota State University with a BA in Elementary Education and obtained an MBA in Science Education from the University of Iowa. She was an elementary teacher at Algona Community School and Burt Community School and retired after 24 years. During her teaching career, she lived in the Amazon Rainforest for eight days with 13 year old students. Donna has always had a passion for teaching and believes you should never stop learning in life.

 

Donna was a Board Secretary and Administrative Assistant for nine years at Titonka Community School. She has been a member and President of Water’s Edge Nature Center Foundation for over 17 years. She organized and established the Friends of Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge, serving as president for 15 years. Donna was the recipient of the Governor’s Leadership Award and Environmental Educator Award. She is a volunteer member of Kossuth Regional Health Center Auxiliary, DKG Education Society, WENC Foundation, and R.S.V.P. 
 

Donna and her husband Bruce, have two sons Nate and wife Ivy with three children, and Dan and wife Jocelyn with three children.