After the Midwest Chapter’s June 2016 election, the current Chapter Officers and Directors are as follows:

Bruce Arentson, President 
Aaron Park, President-Elect 
Randy Walker, Past President 
Wendy Flatt, Secretary-Treasurer 
Don Martell, Director 
Judy Reynolds, Director 
Chris Hostetler, Director 
Chad Risley, Director 
Phillip Krueger, Director 
Jim Edwards, Director 
Rick Bonander, Director 
Joe Wolf, Director 

Our election was completed on June 24, 2016. The President-elect and three new Directors began their terms on July 1.

Membership records as of June showed 167 members in the Chapter. This represents an increase of 36 members (29%) over the past year. Free Chapter memberships continue to be offered to students who have taken the ARPAS exam and passed and then joined ARPAS.

Since the April newsletter, the Midwest chapter continues to be busy with several activities and meetings at regional and national conferences. Some of these activities include:

June 4, State Nutrition Conference—At the 4-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference the Midwest Chapter was a Silver Sponsor of the overall program and manned the ARPAS display booth. ARPAS exams were offered and administered. Primary contributors include: Rick Bonander, James Coomer, John Anderson, and Randy Shaver. This was our second time for sponsorship of this conference, and we look forward to working with the organizing committee in future years to continue to build upon this relationship.

September 20–21, Minnesota Nutrition Conference—The Midwest Chapter has partnered with the Minnesota Nutrition Conference to sponsor the First Annual Graduate Student Poster Competition (http://www.mnnutritionconf.umn.edu). Students participating in this event will have a research poster presentation (ASAS poster presentation format) on display at the nutrition conference. Cash prizes ($500, $200, and $100) will be awarded to the top three poster presentations. In addition, the ARPAS Midwest Chapter is offering an additional $200 cash award for the contestant with the highest placing poster presentation and is either a current ARPAS member or who has taken and passed the ARPAS exam by the end of the 2016 Minnesota Nutrition Conference. ARPAS exams will be offered at the conference. A Midwest Chapter member will also have the opportunity to give a 10-minute presentation on the value of ARPAS.

All year—Outreach to Animal and Dairy Science Departments and to Industry within the region on career development and the benefits of ARPAS membership through our standing University Relations Committee and Industry Relations Committee.

Personal Development Conference—The Chapter currently has a working group planning a Personal Development Conference targeted towards helping professionals to attain optimal career success through skill development that includes both technical and non-technical professional skills.