New members join state board
Two members were elected to three-year terms on the OFBF’s state board, and the three top officers were re-elected during the 85th annual meeting. Joe Pittman will represent Farm Bureau members from Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum and Perry counties. Pittman fills the trustee seat formerly held by Andrew Wilson of Somerset who retired from the board, having served since 1998. Pittman is a 25-year Farm Bureau member. He has served in numerous positions with the Muskingum County Farm Bureau including president, treasurer and is currently the county’s government affairs chairman. His farming enterprise consists of backgrounding beef cattle. He is a retired Ohio State University Extension agent. He also is a former manager with the Federal Land Bank Association, vocational agriculture teacher and Extension district director. Pittman received his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees from Ohio State University. He is an active member of the New Concord Church of Christ and the New Concord Lion’s Club. He and his wife, Barbara, are the parents of four adult children. Don Ralph will represent the interests of Farm Bureau members from Crawford, Marion, Morrow and Richland counties. Ralph fills the trustee seat formerly held by Lee Oswalt of Mansfield who retired following 21 years of service on the state board. Ralph farms along with family members producing corn, soybeans and wheat. He is a 47-year member of the Marion County Farm Bureau and has held several leadership positions in the organization including president and promotion and education chairman. He currently serves as membership chairman. He also has worked on state Farm Bureau committees including policy development and finance. The life-long Marion County resident is president of the board of directors for Farmers Mutual Relief. He and his wife, Mary, are the parents of three grown children.
Pittman Ralph President Terry McClure of Paulding County, First Vice President Bob Peterson of Fayette County and Treasurer Sparky Weilnau of Erie County were each elected to a third full term. President McClure's family farm consists of corn, soybeans and wheat. He also owns and operates a grain hauling business. He and his wife, Lisa, are the parents of three children. First Vice President Peterson farms with his father and brother. Their family operation consists of corn, soybeans, wheat, hay, hogs and beef cattle. He graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in agriculture. He and his wife, Lisa, are the parents of three children. Treasurer Weilnau’s farming operation includes popcorn, field corn, soybeans and wheat. Weilnau and his wife, Catherine, are the parents of two sons. Eight current state trustees were re-elected to three-year terms:
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