Mike Spier officially became USW President on July 1, replacing the now-retired Vince Peterson. As he began his new job, Spier announced new additions to the USW staff and the consolidation of two USW programs.
Brian Liedl, who has two decades of experience in wheat trading and logistics, joined USW as Vice President of Overseas Operations on July 1. That was the position Spier himself held prior to becoming President.
Meanwhile, Julia Debes rejoined USW June 30 as Director – Communications and Stakeholder Outreach. Debes has previous experience in the organization — she worked as Assistant Director of Communications for USW from 2010 to 2014. Her hiring is part of a broader reorganization of USW Communications in wake of the July 1 retirement of long-serving Vice President of Communications Steve Mercer.
USW Vice President of Policy Dalton Henry will lead the department, which will combine the talents and resources of USW’s Policy and Communications staff. Ralph Loos, USW’s Director of Communications, will assume the new role of Director of Communications – Multimedia and Global Outreach.
Debes most recently served as the Director of Communications for Working Lands for Wildlife, an effort by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). In that role, she developed and oversaw targeted communications for regional initiatives, as well as consistent messages geared specifically to engaging agricultural audiences. Debes has also worked for Kansas Wheat as a contract writer over the last decade, developing content for the weekly Wheat Scoop. She covered trade, production, wheat breeding and consumer topics.
“I’m particularly excited to welcome Julia back to the USW team,” said Henry. “She has a front row seat to wheat production on her family’s farm, which positions her well to tell the USW story as the communications team works to expand content and resources provided to our state wheat members and customers overseas.”
Debes left USW in 2014 when she and her husband moved back to their hometown of Hoisington, Kansas, where she and her husband are the fifth generation to farm in Barton County. Since that time, her career has included communications roles at other grain industry organizations, including the U.S. Grains Council and National Sorghum Producers.
As for Liedl, he most recently served as Director of Merchandising at United Grain Corporation (UGC), a position he had held since March 2020. Previously, he was a Senior Merchant at UGC, managing hard red winter (HRW), durum, and soft white (SW) wheat product lines. He also contributed to building UGC’s export and origination programs as a Merchant.
“Finding the right person for this role was crucial, because USW needs someone with deep wheat industry knowledge, the right skills, and a genuine respect for the USW mission,” said Spier. “Brian checks every box. He has built strong relationships both domestically and with U.S. wheat importers worldwide. He is deeply committed to serving U.S. wheat producers, working closely with state wheat commissions and our industry partners. His extensive knowledge of the U.S. wheat industry and our overseas markets will enable him to hit the ground running.”
Liedl began his career in the grain industry as a Market Analyst at CHS Hedging, where he provided risk management services and authored daily market commentary. Later, during his career at UGC, Liedl regularly participated in USW marketing conferences around the world and has been a trusted resource for USW staff members.
“I’m incredibly grateful and excited to be joining U.S. Wheat Associates and I am thankful for the opportunity to become part of such a dedicated and globally respected organization,” said Liedl. “I look forward to contributing to the important mission of promoting U.S. wheat and supporting our stakeholders around the world.”
Liedl will be based in USW’s West coast Office in Portland, Oregon, where he will be well-positioned to connect with USW overseas staff, the grain trade, and USW trade and technical teams when they visit the U.S.
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