Jesse McCurry is a native Kansan and Executive Director of the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission and Producers Association. He is president of the Kansas Agriculture Alliance and former graduate and board member of KARL. A Kansas State graduate, he wrote his masters thesis on the 2002 farm bill. Jesse’s career includes stints with Kansas Department of Commerce, KCOE ISOM and Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Jesse works with a dedicated staff and board to help build and connect better opportunities for Kansas sorghum farmers here and around the world. He and his wife Rhonda and four children live near Colwich, KS. An advocate, sales and marketing professional, and dedicated Chiefs fan – Jesse is proud to work for the best – farmers. 

Adam York is a Clark County, Kansas native and Program Director for the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission and Producers Association. Here, Adam plans and implements programs, events, and projects for grassroots engagement for both entities, which allow growers to harness their collective voice to enhance and guide their industry.

Before joining Kansas Grain Sorghum, Adam worked over six years for Members of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives, Kansas delegation, where he focused on federal agriculture, energy, tax, and international trade policies and gained experience directing diverse teams of legislative analysts while overseeing direct constituent communication. Adam benefits from his grain and cattle upbringing and holds a BA in History from Kansas State University. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and daughter.

Sanders Barbee is Kansas Grain Sorghum’s Conservation & Sustainability Fellow for 2021.

In this role, Barbee assists Kansas Grain Sorghum connect sustainability projects with farm-oriented programming. She also works with the staff of National Sorghum Producers (NSP) to continue fulfilling the requirements of the organization’s partnership with the Kansas office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Specifically, Sanders works to collate on-farm information and sustainability practices to increase farm conservation literacy.

Sanders is a sophomore at Kansas State University, where she is majoring in Agricultural Economics with a pre-law focus. In addition to her role at Kansas Grain Sorghum, Barbee is a fellow in K-State’s Food and Ag Policy Fellowship and she is an active leader in the student community in Manhattan, Kansas, serving as Secretary in the College of Agriculture’s Chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) at K-State.