Key Takeaways
- Women in Agribusiness has appointed four new members to its Advisory Board for 2026, expanding the board to 12 members.
- New appointees are Kathy Eichlin of Syngenta North America, Jacqui Fatka of CoBank, Amanda Martin of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation, and Jen Tonder of Land O'Lakes.
- All four will serve three-year terms supporting the annual Women in Agribusiness Summit, now in its 15th year.
- The board's primary role is to provide strategic advice and expertise to build content and connections for the WIA Summit.
- New members bring expertise spanning agricultural communications, economic research, leadership development, cooperative governance, and rural broadband.
Women in Agribusiness Expands Advisory Board With Four Industry Leaders
Women in Agribusiness (WIA) has announced the appointment of four new members to its Advisory Board, bringing the total to 12 members. The 2026 appointees represent a cross-section of agribusiness disciplines, drawing from crop protection communications, agricultural economics, leadership development, and cooperative governance.
Kathy Eichlin, Syngenta North America
Kathy Eichlin joins the board as Head of Corporate and Crop Protection Communications at Syngenta North America Crop Protection, LLC, where she oversees strategic communications including external, community, and employee relations and crisis communications. Eichlin serves on the Ragan Communications Leadership Council and was recognized as Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women. She holds a B.A. in public relations and advertising from Otterbein University, an M.A. in organizational communication from Northern Illinois University, and attended Georgetown University's Executive Leadership Coaching Program.
Jacqui Fatka, CoBank
Jacqui Fatka joins as Lead Economist in CoBank's Knowledge Exchange research division, where she covers agricultural trends in the farm supply and biofuels segments. Prior to CoBank, Fatka was an agriculture journalist for Feedstuffs, Farm Futures, and Agri-Pulse. She holds a degree in journalism and communications from Iowa State University and grew up on a diversified grain and livestock farm in southwest Iowa.
Amanda Martin, Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation
Amanda L. Martin, Ph.D., joins as CEO and President of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation, where she leads leadership development programming spanning agriculture, food systems, and rural communities. A first-generation college graduate from rural Southern Illinois, Martin brings experience from Louisiana State University, Auburn University, the American Egg Board, and Farm Foundation. She holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership and research from LSU and dual degrees in agribusiness economics from Southern Illinois University.
Jen Tonder, Land O'Lakes
Jen Tonder joins as Director of Member Governance and Shared Services at Land O'Lakes, where she leads corporate governance, member leadership development, and member-facing systems across the Member and Government Relations organization. She has also led Land O'Lakes' rural broadband expansion efforts through the American Connection Project. Tonder holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a B.A. in management from the College of St. Benedict.
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