Nate Hultgren is the CEO of the Hultgren Farms.  He is a fourth generation farmer and farms in partnership with his brother, Noah, and father, Duane.  Hultgren Farms is a diverse crop farm raising sugar beets, corn, soybeans, kidney beans, sweet corn, and alfalfa.  The company also has a pastured cow-calf beef operation and sells this beef at retail through farmers markets, subscription delivery, and online.  Hultgren Farms is a partner in Meadow Star Dairy, which is located adjacent to the farm and milks 8,500 cows.  Hultgren Farms is a partner in CY Harvesting, which chops forages for the dairy.  Nate serves as chairman on the board of directors for Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative and is also president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association.  He is a 1995 MACCRAY graduate and has a Finance degree from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.  He and his wife Jaime have five children: Lily (16), Nora (14), Elias (14), Ruby (12), and Oliver (10).  In his spare time he enjoys golf and fantasy football.

Liza Fagen is the Executive Administrative Assistant to the President and CEO of Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative (SMBSC) in Renville.  SMBSC is a farmer-owned producer of beet sugar.  Founded in 1974, SMBSC has over 500 shareholders who annually grow approximatelly three millon tons of sugarbeets, producing up to one billion pounds of pure white sugar.  As the largest employer in Renville County, SMBSC recognizes the importance of investing in our communities and specifically that of our youth as they are our future.

A native of Renville, Liza is a gradute of BDRSH High School (now, Renville County West).  She earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural and food business management from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.  In 2009, her small town roots called her home.  Liza worked at the Southwestern Minnesota Synod as the Executive Assistant and at K&M Manufacturing as the Marketing Manager prior to landing at SMBSC.  

Liza is active in the community serving her congregation, on the town celebration committe, and her children's school.  Liza and her husband Brent live in Sacred Heart with their two children, Addyson and Kalli who attend Central Minnesota Christian School.  They enjoy traveling, ATV rides, and the lake.

Jon De Groot is the Superintendent of Central Minnesota Christian School. His passion is to develop leaders and prepare students to encounter Jesus throughout their educational journey and equip them for life. Before coming to CMCS, he spent 9 years planting a church in Sioux Falls and another 9 years working as a campus minister and theology professor at Dordt University. He obtained a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in Transformational Leadership from Bethel University. He is happily married to Kara, his wife of 19 years, and is the proud father of two active middle school boys, Moses and Griffin. Jon is a cycling enthusiast and triathlete. He loves to read broadly, roast his own coffee, lead worship, and dabble in Jazz.

I am the Vice President at Financial Security Bank in Kerkhoven. Working at a small community bank, I have the opportunity to wear many hats. My primary role is an Ag Lender. I am grateful for the path that has lend me to lending and the experiences I've received along the way. 

I have three kids. The KMS district is where we call home. We enjoy four wheeling, camping and road trips. 

I am excited to be part of West Central MN CEO and look forward to watching the communities come together to make this program a success. 

Creative, dedicated, lifelong learner strives to instill in others the desire for increased knowledge,willingness to collaborate, and flexibility to adapt to new trends.

Born and raised in Central Minnesota, I currently make my home on a farm near Renville. My husband and I are grateful to have raised our two children in our rural Central Minnesota community.  We are thrilled that following their formal education, they have chosen to make their own contributions within our rural Minnesota communities. 

Personally, I have observed and experienced many varied learning opportunities. I served as a classroom teacher for 17 years, most of them teaching in the middle grades. For the last 11 years I have served our school district in an administrative capacity. Through the years, I have been involved in the ever changing dynamics in education. One thing that we can be assured of is that education is always evolving. It should be!  Being part of the CEO board is an exciting opportunity to provide yet another approach to educating students for the real world. I am happy to be partnering with the schools involved in the West Central CEO to grow our students to their greatest potential. 

Peyton Mills is the High School Principal at Renville County West.  Prior to coming to RCW, Peyton was a high school social studies teacher in central Minnesota for one year in Parkers Prairie and two years in Waubun Ogema White Earth. 

Peyton is excited to join the West Central CEO program as he feels like it is a great way to provide authentic education to students. The program allows students to practice real world skills and to prepare themselves for whatever their plans might be after high school, whether that be post secondary enrollment or out into the job force. 

Jordan Zeller is Renville County’s Economic Developer. He has nearly 20 years of economic development experience working with entrepreneurs looking to start businesses, and well as helping existing business grow and thrive.