Meet your staff

Jeff Hamre has been a board member of the NDSGA as the soybean industry representative.
As a board member he has represented the NDSGA in numerous roles and activities.
Hamre graduated from NDSU with a Bachelor of Science degree with emphasis on Agronomy and Animal Science. He farmed for 23 years on his family farm with a hog farrow to finish operation, beef cattle, and grain. He was then employed by Cass County Equipment and RDO Equipment as a sprayer specialist and farm equipment sales. Hamre accepted a position with REA Hybrids as the eastern North Dakota sales manager promoting soybean and corn seed sales. With the advent of the Roundup Ready® event in soybeans, he moved to NorthStar Genetics as sales manager and head of varietal research and development both for NorthStar Genetics and Professional Seedsmen Inc., a soybean production only company of NorthStar Genetics. Hamre promoted the movement of soybeans into the far northern soybean belt of not only North Dakota, but helped launch the transition into Manitoba and Quebec for NorthStar Genetics in replicated test plots, strip trials, and changing agronomic practices. He worked closely and effectively with soybean breeders from multiple companies in testing varietal differences in diversified soil environments. Hamre has facilitated many growers meetings for various companies in choosing varieties, maturities, and types of soybeans in various parts of the soybean growing regions. He has been on numerous school, church, elevator, fire department and elevator boards in his agricultural career.
He is employed by TCI Insurance of Enderlin, ND and is a licensed farm and crop insurance agent.
Hamre is married to Neva Hamre and has 4 children, Haley of Alexandria, MN, Kayl at Jamestown College, Mackenzie at Valley City State University, and Jorun at home. He has 2 grandchildren. Hamre has been a basketball official at the collegiate and high school level for 40 years.
Some of his hobbies are; he is a licensed private pilot, basketball officiating, watching his children's sports activities, scuba diving, and being around people.

Joel Gilbertson is an attorney and partner in the Vogel Law Firm, Bismarck, ND. He practices primarily in the area of government relations and represents a number of clients before the legislative and executive branches of government. He is active in dealing with various public policy issues affecting agriculture and, in addition to representing the North Dakota Soybean Producers Association, represents the North Dakota Corn Growers Association, the North Dakota Ethanol Producers Association (the renewable fuels industry), BIO (the bioscience industry), PhRMA (the pharmaceutical industry), and CropLife America (the pesticide and seed industry). He also has legislative and regulatory clients in healthcare and insurance.

Scott Rising has been representing ND Soybean Growers on public policy since 2008, prior to the North Dakota legislative session. His involvement with public policy issues is a life-long endeavor and includes activities at both the state and federal levels. He's been instrumental in executive-level boards for the local United Way, officer associations and other organizations. In the community, Scott has been active in youth baseball, the volunteer fire department, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and his church. An NDSU graduate, Scott enjoyed more than three decades in a variety of roles with the ND Air National Guard prior to joining the NDSGA.