Team Members

Richard Gilmore: President/CEO

View Gilmore’s Wikipedia profile

Biography: Rick Gilmore, President/CEO, founded GIC Trade, Inc./GIC Group in 1980. He has a PhD in trade economics and extensive experience in policy analysis, trade, investment, and market research for agro-industries. Dr. Gilmore has served as an advisor to the US government in a variety of capacities, a member of private and public sector boards, a trustee of international companies and regulatory agencies in the US and Canada, and is an author of books and articles as well as a media commentator on global agricultural issues. Prior to founding the GIC Group, Gilmore was project director for food policies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Rockefeller Foundation fellow, director of food policy at the Overseas Development Council, and staff member at the Rand Corporation.

Education:

• Ph.D., International Economics/Trade, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, Switzerland, 1971, Fulbright Fellow.
• M.A., International and Development Economics, Johns Hopkins University, Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Washington, DC, 1967.
• Post Graduate: Rockefeller Fellow, Visiting Fellow – Rand Corp. and Overseas Development Council.

Laura Wonser: Senior Executive Assistant

Biography: Laura Wonser helps support leadership with daily tasks and long-term projects. They focus on improving administrative processes, making departments more efficient, and keeping things running smoothly. Curious and detail-oriented, Laura enjoys solving problems and finding better ways to get work done.

Education:

• B.A, Organizational speech communication Political Science, Miami University.

Greg Mills: Senior Management Associate

Biography: President of ADM CRS (Crop Insurance), Management responsibilities in global grain, feed, meal, oil, transportation and food ingredients, and of Golden Peanut and Tree Nut. Former chair of industry associations in crop insurance board member, MyAgData.

Education:

• M.B.A. , CEO Led Executive development – ADM, Organizational Leadership.
• Master of Business Administration, ADM Cohort Millikin MBA program.
• B.S., Agricultural Business, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Lee Friesen: Management Associate

Biography: Research and development project lead. Private agriculture consultant with a specialty in crop insurance. Skilled in Public Speaking, Crop Insurance, Training Delivery, Technical Support, and Insurance. Member of Class X the South Dakota Agricultural & Rural Leadership program.

Education:

• B.S. in Education, South Dakota State University.
• Master’s Degree, Management of Information Systems, Dakota State University Graduate School.

Nick Klaiber: Marketing Specialist

Education:

• B.B.A. Marketing, Western Michigan University.