Drake University Appoints Four New Board Trustees
- Drake University welcomed four new members to its Board of Trustees, adding decades of leadership experience in agribusiness, corporate law, and insurance, according to announcements from the university...
- Byers joins the board following a family tradition of service.
- Having spent over 28 years as senior vice president and general counsel at USI Insurance Services—one of the world's premier insurance brokerage and consulting firms—Ernest J.
Drake University welcomed four new members to its Board of Trustees, adding decades of leadership experience in agribusiness, corporate law, and insurance, according to announcements from the university and the Business Record.
Approved by the board earlier this year, the incoming trustees officially began their initial three-year terms on July 1, 2026. Drake University President Marty Martin stated that the new members bring diverse expertise and deep insights that will complement existing trustees as the institution works to transform lives and strengthen communities.
Agribusiness and Legal Leadership Join the Board
Alan M. Byers joins the board following a family tradition of service. According to news.drake.edu, his father, Donald C. Byers, graduated from Drake with a juris doctor in 1951, received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1993, and served on the board from 1983 to 2010, including a term as board chair from 1989 to 1992. Alan Byers serves as senior advisor to the CEO at JBS USA, bringing nearly 50 years of agribusiness leadership experience. He previously led JBS Beef, Meyer Natural Foods, Signature Meats at Conagra, and Dubuque Foods at Hormel. A two-time captain of the Drake football team, Byers graduated in 1978 from the Drake College of Fine Arts and earned an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He received Drake’s Double D Award in 2025.
John Farmer joins the board in an ex-officio capacity as chair of the Drake National Alumni Board, according to university records. Farmer earned his bachelor’s degree in international relations from Drake in 1992 before obtaining his juris doctor from the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. His career includes a partnership at Thompson Coburn LLP in St. Louis, which preceded his tenure over the last ten years as vice president and assistant general counsel for Charter Communications, Inc.
Insurance Executives Expand Trustee Expertise
Having spent over 28 years as senior vice president and general counsel at USI Insurance Services—one of the world’s premier insurance brokerage and consulting firms—Ernest J. Newborn II concluded his career with his retirement in 2025. Newborn also serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Strada Education Foundation, a nonprofit focused on connecting education to economic opportunity. Steve Sukup rounds out the incoming class of trustees.
