By Jody Shee
Stepping into a board leadership position at the American Soybean Association is a significant responsibility, especially when following in the footsteps of a parent who played a pivotal role in ASA’s governance, including serving as president. Two current ASA board members have picked up the leadership torch shaped by the previous exemplary dedication and hard work of their fathers. As these sons take up that flame, they are prepared to contribute their fresh ideas and skills while bringing new energy to their advocacy efforts and moving soy forward.
Geoff Ruth
Geoff Ruth (left) is bringing “soy forward” while following in his father, Bart’s, (right) footsteps as an ASA leader.
Though Geoff Ruth, from Rising City, Nebraska, was just elected to the ASA board, he isn’t new to leadership. He is the seventh generation working a 2,800-acre family farm and has held various leadership positions, including serving on the Nebraska Farm Service Agency State Committee and nine years on the board of the Nebraska Soybean Association, including as president.
When Geoff was a high school senior, his dad, Bart Ruth, was ASA president (2001-02) and helped pass the 2002 Farm Bill, one of his greatest accomplishments in Geoff’s eyes. He also recalls his dad spending much time in China and Southeast Asia on trade missions as soybeans were becoming a hot global commodity.
As a father of three himself, Geoff reflected on his father’s frequent long business trips during his youth and mindfully took a seven-year break from industry leadership after leaving the Nebraska Soybean Association to spend more time with his family. “I kind of stepped away from it a while to see my kids somewhat grow up,” he says. Today, his children are 10, 14, and 15. “I don’t think I’d trade that time off for the world.”
Now as Geoff kicks off his tenure on the ASA board, he’s reenergized and ready to get busy. “Getting a new farm bill passed will certainly be at the top of my priority list,” Geoff says, as he kicks off his tenure on the board. He also plans to help broaden the international soybean market beyond China. “Hopefully I’ll work with our politicians to make sure that whatever tariffs get put in place don’t hurt the American soybean economy.”
While Geoff anticipates a steep learning curve in his new board position, he adds that at least in international marketing and policy, a lot of it is just relationship building. “I’ve always felt like I’ve been a pretty decent relationship builder,” he says.
Jordan Scott
Jordan Scott (right) was inspired to get involved in soy leadership by his dad, Kevin, (left) and his policy work as an ASA president and director.
Encouraged by his father, Kevin Scott, Jordan Scott joined the ASA board in 2022. This year he was elected to the nine-member executive committee.
A fifth-generation farmer operating his family’s Valley Springs, S.D., farm, Jordan has also served many years on the South Dakota Soybean Association board, including two years as president.
Growing up, Jordan admired his father’s achievements. “I remember him coming back from trips and hearing about the conversations he’d had with highly powerful people in our country and abroad, and it was pretty impressive to me,” he says. Kevin, who served as ASA president in 2021, played a key advocacy role in the passage of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He was also instrumental in helping establish ASA’s Washington, D.C., office.
Jordan sees international trade as one of his personal priorities. “I’ve focused on trade throughout my ASA career, and I will continue to do that as vice chair on the trade policy and international affairs committee,” he says. He also aims to tackle regulatory issues surrounding pesticides. “I’ll work on educating and telling our story and why we need certain products,” he adds.
Although he used to engage actively in storytelling on his own YouTube channel, Jordan now focuses on a more subdued style of advocacy. “I’m working at doing policy, not politics,” he says.
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