About the Candidates

Kurtis Harms

Kurtis Harms is the director of marketing for Pillen Family Farms and DNA Genetics. Through this role, Kurtis oversees the marketing strategy and external communication efforts to build and maintain customer relationships for the swine genetic portion of the business. He also ensures consistent internal communication initiatives directed at all 1,200 team members of the two pork companies under the Pillen umbrella.

Additionally, Kurtis has taught (and continues to teach) college courses at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) as a faculty member and adjunct faculty member, including multimedia design, videography, podcasting in agriculture and natural resources and an introduction to agricultural communications.

Prior to these roles, Kurtis Harms was the director of communications with the Nebraska Corn Board. Through his role, Kurtis helped the Nebraska Corn Board achieve its mission of “promoting the value of corn by creating opportunities.” He worked to achieve this goal by identifying key audiences and reaching these groups with strategic messaging through various outreach initiatives. He managed the board’s diverse portfolio of communication, promotion and education campaigns.

Before coming to the Nebraska Corn Board, Kurtis worked for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) for nearly 10 years. At the University, he was the executive producer of “Market Journal,” a 30-minute weekly agricultural television program for farmers and ranchers across the state. Through this role, Kurtis was responsible for most aspects of the program, including content generation, videography, editing, lighting, sound, distribution and promotions.

Kurtis earned a bachelor’s of science degree in agricultural journalism with an emphasis in broadcasting and public relations from UNL. He then completed a master’s degree in journalism and mass communications from UNL. His master’s thesis focused on the media usage habits of Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers and their role when making agricultural business decisions.

Kurtis is a member of the Nebraska Ag Builders and is a graduate of Nebraska LEAD Class 40. He is native of Dodge, Nebraska.

Kimberly Clark

Dr. Kim Clark is an assistant professor of agricultural science at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. In her role, Dr. Clark continues to build the agriculture science program by recruiting students, developing and implementing curriculum for the program, and teaching undergraduate agriculture science and agribusiness students. A believer in developing individuals into leaders, Dr. Clark uses the transformational leadership approach to guide students to effectively communicate and become culturally competent leaders in their communities and within their careers. Dr. Clark organizes and leads domestic and international study tours as one component of leadership development.

Prior to her current role, Dr. Clark was employed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a statewide Extension Dairy Educator for six years where she planned, implemented, and delivered Extension programs statewide, across the Midwest, and internationally. She founded the Extension Dairy Advisory Committee and served as the chair of the I-29 Moo University, a five-state consortium of Extension Dairy Educators and Specialists.

Dr. Clark earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2006, a Master of Agriculture degree with a minor in Agriculture Economics in 2009, and a Ph.D. in Human Sciences with a focus on Leadership Studies in 2023. Her Ph.D. focused on how perceived leadership skills developed during global experiences are used in Extension.

She earned the Ag Achievement award from the National Association of County Agriculture Agents in 2020 and the Dairy Person of the Year award from the Nebraska State Dairy Association in 2022. You may find Dr. Clark hiking outdoors or enjoying a good book in her spare time.

B. Lynn Gordon

Dr. B. Lynn Gordon has an enthusiastic passion for the agricultural industry with experience in leadership development, education, and communications.

Lynn’s path included earning her bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and Communications from North Dakota State University, followed by her master’s degree in Business and Marketing Education from the University of Minnesota.

She began her career working for the University of Minnesota Cooperative Extension Service and then pursued roles as an education and communications director for state and national beef industry organizations. While working as Director of Agricultural Promotion for the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Gordon pursued her doctorate in Leadership Studies at the University of Nebraska where her research focused on the path to leadership for beef industry leaders.

Upon earning her Ph.D., Dr. Gordon joined South Dakota State University first in a Regional Beef Extension Specialist role and later as an Assistant Professor and Extension Agricultural Leadership Specialist. Gordon reflects that one of her career highlights was teaching a study abroad course and traveling with SDSU college students to learn first-hand about agriculture in Argentina and Uruguay. She is a Class VII graduate of the South Dakota Agricultural Rural Leaders Program (SDARL), where she garnered first-hand experience with a state agricultural leadership program.

Driven by a commitment to fostering leadership, Dr Gordon established LEADER Consulting, LLC., offering training and presentations at industry events and contributing editorial content to regional and national agricultural publications. More recently she has also held pivotal roles in developing marketing strategies for prominent food and agricultural companies.

She was raised on a registered beef cattle and grain operation in Manitoba, Canada and her entire family is still actively involved in agriculture. Her contributions to beef industry communications earned her the 2022 Beef Improvement Federation Ambassador Award and multiple Livestock Publications Council awards. Notably, Dr. Gordon also represented the media at the World Angus Conference in Uruguay in 2019 and the Czech Republic in 2023. She has served on several leadership and agricultural committees and boards and continues to support livestock youth and 4-H programs.

Dr. Gordon currently resides in Grand Island, Nebraska, where her ongoing endeavors focus on enriching the agricultural industry.