From L to R: USW Secretary-Treasurer Mark Jossund, USW Vice Chairman Mike Carstensen, USW Chairman Gary Millershaski, USW Past Chairman Jim Pellman, USW President and CEO Mike Spier. Photo credit: U.S. Wheat Associates.
Gary Millershaski, a wheat farmer from Lakin, Kansas, has assumed the role of chairman of the U.S. Wheat Associates Board of Directors following the organization’s summer meeting in Fargo, N.D.
Millershaski succeeds North Dakota wheat farmer Jim Pellman and will serve a one-year term leading the export market development organization.
The three-day meeting included officer installations for the 2026-27 term, along with updates from state wheat commission members and U.S. Wheat Associates staff. Committees covering budget, long-range planning, transportation and wheat quality also met during the event. The full board convened June 25 for updates on global wheat supply and demand, food assistance programs and industry partnerships.
“Gary has been an active board member and a valuable voice on the officer team – he is a strong representative for U.S. wheat farmers,” said U.S. Wheat Associates President and CEO Mike Spier. "He has visited many global markets and established relationships with wheat buyers around the world. This kind of engagement serves the mission of USW to build export demand for wheat. We look forward to his continued contributions to our work that benefits wheat farmers in his home state of Kansas and beyond.”
Millershaski and his family produce hard red winter wheat, hard white wheat, dryland corn and milo, and also manage a cow-calf operation in western Kansas.
He joined the Kansas Wheat Commission in 2016 and later served as its chairman. He also served on the board of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers from 2007 to 2017 after receiving a scholarship through the Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership program.
More recently, Millershaski completed the Bayer Leadership Program, an industry-focused initiative aimed at strengthening collaboration and preparing participants for global agricultural challenges.
“In my role as Vice Chairman, I’ve learned a lot from working alongside Jim Pellman, our U.S. Wheat staff around the world and the state partners that support our efforts,” Millershaski said. “My goal as Chairman is to meet more of our customers and continue to raise awareness of the high-quality wheat we grow.”
The full slate of officers for the coming year was elected during the organization’s winter board meeting in January in Washington. Alongside Millershaski as chairman, Mike Carstensen of Almira, Washington, will serve as vice chairman, Pellman moves into the past chairman role, and Mark Jossund of Hendrum, Minnesota, begins his term as secretary-treasurer. All officers officially started their terms June 25.
Source: U.S. Wheat Associates, "Gary Millershaski Assumes Role of U.S. Wheat Associates Chairman"