Tom Adam, ISA Secretary - District 9
Tom Adam farms near Harper in Keokuk County, Iowa and serves on executive committee for the Iowa Soybean Association Board of Directors as the secretary. He grows soybeans, corn, wheat, oats, hay and produces beef cattle. Adam has farmed for 37 years and implements no-till, cover crops, alternative crop rotations and more.
Rob Taylor, President & Primary Distiller at Revelton Distilling Co.
Rob Taylor is the Owner, Founder and Primary Distiller of Revelton Distilling Company, a renowned craft distillery located in Osceola. Known for its exceptional spirits that include Bourbon & Rye Whiskey, gins, vodkas and flavored liquors, Revelton is now the fastest growing distillery in the state of Iowa. Rob is married to Dr. Christi Taylor who is a practicing physician and his partner and Gin Distiller at Revelton. The Taylors have 4 adult children and are all life-long Iowa residents.
Rob grew up on his family’s farm in central Clarke County raising Limousine cattle as well as corn and beans. During the week, he lived in Des Moines where he received his K-12 education, graduating from Lincoln High School in 1989 with honors. Rob received his Associate of Arts degree from Des Moines Area Community College as well as Bachelor of Science Degree from Upper Iowa University and a Master of Business Leadership from William Penn University. Rob spent much of his early professional years in the automotive fields as an ASE Certified Diesel mechanic, parts manager and service manager. He then went on to manage a small family-owned petroleum company where his specialty was synthetic lubricants as well as stabilization and utilization of ethanol and biofuels. In 2012, Rob was elected to the Iowa State House of Representatives where he served three terms before leaving politics in 2018 to focus on building and growing Revelton Distilling Company.
Christie Wiebbecke, ISA Chief Officer of Research and Conservation
Christie Wiebbecke, Ph.D., is the Chief Officer of Research and Conservation at the Iowa Soybean Association. Dr. Wiebbecke received her undergraduate degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University, M.A. in Education from Chapman University, and a doctorate in Plant Breeding from Iowa State University. She serves as Chair of the Industry Advisory Council for the Iowa Soybean Research Center and serves on the ISRC management team.
Dr. Wiebbecke spent over 20 years serving in various capacities in the agriculture industry from teaching high schoolers in California, to running combines, genomic selection, varietal development, and product management. Her passion for agriculture and developing people to their fullest potential shines through in all she does.
Matt Herman, ISA Chief Officer of Demand and Advocacy
Raised near La Porte City, Iowa on a corn, soybean, and beef cattle operation, Matt has been near agriculture for much of his life. After leaving the farm, Matt attended Iowa State University to study policy, history, and bioenergy. Following school he worked for Ames-based Renewable Energy Group where he oversaw all greenhouse gas accounting, led aspects of policy and advocacy, and helped build innovative strategies to cut the company’s emissions while increasing profitability. Prior to joining the Iowa Soybean Association, Herman was in Washington D.C. working on environmental analysis and biofuel policy. Now at the Iowa Soybean Association, Matt leverages those skills and connections to support the creation of a more profitable, higher yielding, and more sustainable soybean cropping rotations for Iowa’s farmers.
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