Little begins Kansas Soybean leadership

Kansas Soybean gains new leadership

Kaleb Little officially joined the Kansas Soybean staff as CEO and administrator Jan. 4.

Little spent just over a decade at the National Biodiesel Board, working in various roles on the communications team, including communications director, before moving to Kansas Soybean. Kenlon Johannes, Little’s predecessor, retires April 30; the two split duties as needed in the interim.

Keep reading as Little recaps his first month and more.

How would you summarize your first month as the new leader of Kansas Soybean?

The time has flown by since my start on January 4 with a flurry of meetings, conference calls, Zoom conferences, and dozens of conversations with local, state, and national collaborators. We hosted the Kansas Soybean Association’s Annual Meeting, participated in the American Soybean Association’s Soybean Leadership Academy, provided commission activity updates to the Kansas House and Senate, held an introductory meeting with Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam and attended the virtual National Biodiesel Conference & Expo, the No-till On the Plains Winter Conference and a Renew Kansas board meeting, just to name a few.

You’ve described your new role as a “special opportunity;” what makes it so?

For me, this position is the perfect combination of continued professional growth, the opportunity to work with great people for a great cause, and a chance to get closer to home. With such great staff and board leadership in place, and the tremendous foundation that Kenlon has built over the years, this is the perfect opportunity to grow and provide value back to the soybean farmers of my home state.

How would you describe yourself in a single sentence?

I like to think of myself as a team player who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to get the job done.