PEOPLE

Todd is a Director at Centrec and has been with the firm since 1991. Todd works with clients in financial assessment and analysis, economic and market analysis, education and training, analytical modeling and analysis, and strategic and advisory services. He has a passion for developing sophisticated analytical models that provide the framework for the numerous operating, investing, and financing decisions faced by Centrec clients. This passion reflects Todd's ability to simplify complex concepts and provide clarity to complicated multi-faceted decisions. He is an experienced educator and has taught thousands of ag finance professionals on the topics of credit and financial analysis and the use of credit analysis software. Todd earned a BS and an MS in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois. For ten years, Todd was a Visiting Teaching Associate at the University of Illinois, where he taught a 300-level course focused on developing spreadsheet applications and models. He is also past president of the Farm Financial Standard Council and currently serves as co-chair of the Technical Committee.

Don is a Director with Centrec and has been with the firm since 2001. Don's consulting experience includes financial and management services, accounting and management information systems design and implementation, business organization development and transition, litigation support and client advocacy. He has served as the principal financial instructor for the National Pork Producers Council Production and Financial Standards initiative (integrating financial and managerial accounting). Don is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Agricultural Consultant - Independent. Prior to assuming his responsibilities with Centrec, Don served as a national consulting manager in agribusiness and operated a management consulting firm serving agricultural producers and small businesses. Don received his BA and MBA from Michigan State University.

Steve is the Managing Director of Centrec and the longest-tenured member of the team. He has managed both domestic and international consulting projects in all four of Centrec's service areas. Steve has worked extensively in projects involving strategy development, operational analysis, business systems design and development, ag finance, and family business management. Currently, he spends the majority of his consulting time working with large commercial ag producers and regional agribusiness firms, leading Centrec's role to support the management teams of these organizations. He has conducted hundreds of ag credit training programs for thousands of lenders across the United States and is a sought-after speaker on management and finance topics. Steve served as the Chair of the Technical Committee for the Farm Financial Standards Council for 18 years and has been on the faculty of The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers (TEPAP) program since its inception. He received a BS in Ag Science and an MBA from the University of Illinois and worked with an international consulting firm for five years before starting Centrec in 1983.

Chris is a Director Emeritus and was a partner for more than 20 years. In that time, he managed and worked on hundreds of projects for a broad range of public, private, and not-for-profit entities at local, state, and national levels. Chris is known for his pragmatic problem-solving skills and the ability to break down and communicate complex concepts and ideas effectively. He is skilled at using system dynamics, dynamic modeling, data visualization dashboards, and group facilitation methods to bring clarity to client's challenges. He has been able to apply these skills to a wide range of project types, including organizational strategy, grain quality assessment, supply chain analysis, research project management, sustainable development, biofuel feedstock supply chains, and educational program development. Chris earned a BS in Agricultural Sciences from Western Illinois University and an MS in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois. He enjoys traveling with his wife, woodworking, and restoring and driving British sports cars. Chris is also an active member and supporter of the Champaign-Urbana community and serves on various boards and committees.

Steve is a Director Emeritus and was a partner for more than 25 years. Currently, in concert with his Centrec responsibilities, he is an Emeritus Chaired Professor of Agricultural Strategy at the University of Illinois. He also serves as Fellow at the Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets at the University of Maryland and as Senior Economist at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center. Dr. Sonka's teaching and research emphasize strategic change and decision making in the food and agribusiness sector. In 1983, he authored Computers in Farming, the first text devoted to computer use in the sector. His interest and involvement in the application of information technologies has continued through PC's, the internet, precision agriculture, Big Data and now digital agriculture. He has authored or coauthored over 220 books, articles and publications. An internationally known scholar, he has been recognized with national professional awards for both high quality teaching and research. Dr. Sonka is well known for his unusual ability to relate that scholarship to practical issues of importance to decision makers. His international experiences include consulting and lecturing on every continent except Antarctica.

Mia is a Consultant at Centrec. She is interested in data visualization and analysis, economic forecasting, risk management and machine learning. Mia received a BA in Agricultural Economics from China Agricultural University and an MS in Applied and Agricultural Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She likes traveling and learning new things.

Henrique is a Consultant at Centrec and joined the firm in 2021. His skillset includes agricultural finance, data analytics and visualization, financial modeling, and strategic management. His previous work experience includes strategic and financial management focused on Brazilian Agribusiness, and participating in beef cattle production research projects and operations, both in Brazil and in the U.S. Henrique has a Veterinary degree from the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), spending time at the University of Florida and the University of Minnesota while pursuing his degree. He has an MS in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he held multiple teaching assistantships and focused his research on Illinois grain farmer’s economics. In his spare time, he likes to play tennis and be outdoors with his family and friends.

Tony is a Software Developer with Centrec, who worked as a consultant before coming on full-time. Tony's career has given him experience in all aspects of software development, including database, architecture, server administration, and especially front-end, with a focus on usability and performance. He grew up in the Champaign area, and after moving to several places around the world, returned to settle here. Tony graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor's Degree in Statistics.

Bob is a Software Engineer with Centrec and has been with the firm since 2008. Bob's experience covers all phases of hardware and software, including large mission-critical application development for Fortune 500 companies. For the past several years, he has been involved in the design and development of financial analysis and modeling software, advanced algorithms, hardware/software integration, and relational databases. Bob's skill set includes C, C++, C#, ASP.NET, SQL and engineering math. He received his BS and MS in EE/Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois.

Carlos is a Senior Associate with Centrec, having joined the firm in 2017 after retiring from a successful career in Agri Banking, Corporate Finance, and Agribusiness. His experience includes 20 years in a leadership role in rural banking with two leading financial institutions in Brazil: Rabobank and ItauBBA. He has served on the faculty of training programs on finance, strategy and governance for corporate farmers, cooperative managers and ag bankers in Brazil, Argentina and Africa. He has served as faculty to Graduate Agribusiness Management programs in Brazil. Carlos received a B.S in Agronomy from the Universidade de Sao Paulo and his M.S in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University. He is a native Portuguese speaker and is fluent in English, French, Italian, and Spanish.

Micah is a Senior Consultant at Centrec Consulting Group, LLC, and has been with the firm since 2008. Micah’s current work involves linking grain and oilseed quality to differentiated value propositions, using value chain analysis to inform strategic decision making, and developing decision tools that simplify complex systems. His skill set includes economic and market analysis, group facilitation, data analysis, and research project management. Micah received a BS in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois, his MS in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University and is a graduate of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program. Micah grew up on a farm in Western Illinois and as the fifth generation is active in ensuring the family’s farming tradition is passed to the next generation.

Lee is a Senior Consultant at Centrec and has been with the firm since 2012. His skill set includes financial analysis, agricultural finance, and market research. He earned a BS in Financial Economics from Centre College and an MBA from Indiana University Southeast. He has also passed the first two exams of the Charted Financial Analyst curriculum and has experience as a grain merchandiser in Southern Indiana and Illinois. In his spare time, Lee enjoys bass fishing, playing soccer, and taking care of Ophelia, his family's old English sheepdog.

Mike is a Senior Associate with Centrec and a Distinguished Professor in the Center for Food and Agricultural Business at Purdue University. His work is focused on strategy, risk management and finance for farm and agribusiness firms. Mike teaches in workshops/seminars for ag lenders on the topics of the long-term future of the agricultural industry, changes in the farming sector and the competitive landscape of the lending environment, as well as financial and credit analysis for the modern farming business. He has also been instrumental in developing risk assessment and management tools and templates. Mike teaches in the Texas A&M AAPEX and TEPAP programs, the Wisconsin Graduate School of Banking and other workshops and seminars in the United State and around the world, such as the Harvard-sponsored European Food and Agribusiness Seminar. At Purdue, he teaches graduate courses in finance and strategy, conducts research on innovation, risk analysis and structural change and teaches in executive education programs on the topics of strategy, finance and the long-term future of agriculture. Mike received a BS degree from Iowa State and MS and PhD degrees from Purdue. He is also involved in farming businesses in Iowa and Indiana. He is a private pilot and enjoys regular treks to Oshkosh AirVenture.

Bethany is an Administrative Assistant and has been with Centrec since 2010. She has a Bachelor's in Communication from SUNY (State University of New York) Brockport in Western New York. Previously Bethany worked as an Administrative Assistant for an agronomic consulting firm. Bethany has experience in many different administrative tasks, including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Inventory Management and Data Analysis.

Lisa is a Project Support Specialist at Centrec and has been with the firm since 1989. She is involved in a variety of activities including project design and development. Lisa creates many of the graphic design elements used by Centrec, carefully evaluating and transforming data for visual impact. She received her certification in Information Systems from Parkland College.

Alex is an Administrative Support Specialist at Centrec and has been with the firm since 2016. She manages the day-to-day office activities throughout Centrec and assists in project material creation and execution. Alex graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2020.

Dee Ann is the Business Manager at Centrec and is responsible for the firm's accounting and human resource functions, client billing, employee benefits, and quality control of reports and contracts. As Centrec's first full-time employee in 1983, Dee Ann knows the value of exceptional customer service and relationship building. She believes community service is important and serves on the board of the Champaign Urbana Theatre Company, on the Health Alliance Consumer Advisory Committee, and served on the board of the local YMCA. Dee Ann has a strong sense of curiosity and a thirst for knowledge which have led to several non-traditional educational opportunities. Recently, she was elected trustee for the Village of Pesotum to accelerate economic growth in the community.