A message from Steve Kennedy, Producer Board Chair

On behalf of your producer board and management, I am pleased to announce that Chris Guess has accepted the position of senior director of operations for CHS SunBasin Growers, starting Sept. 1. 

It was announced in June that Tyson Chick, current senior director of operations for CHS SunBasin Growers, would be transitioning to a new role within CHS starting on Sept. 1, 2023. Since then, the producer board and CHS have been searching for a new leader for the business unit with locations in Bruce, Connell, Glade, Kahlotus, Kennewick, Moses Lake, Quincy, Royal City and Warden. 

Chris is currently director of operations for the CHS dry edible bean plant in Othello, Wash. As he moves into this new role, the producer board and CHS have also decided to move forward with the consolidation of the bean plant into the CHS SunBasin Growers business unit. This will also occur Sept. 1. Farmer-owners and customers will see little change to day-to-day operations, but this aligns with our ongoing goals of driving growth and efficiencies across the region and creating more value for farmer-owners. 

Chris has been with CHS for 20 years, beginning his career at what was then CHS Connell Grain in warehouse operations. He moved into a role as grain operations manager there until progressing into a role as general manager of the Othello bean plant in 2015. Since then, he has been overseeing the dry edible bean plant production and team. In that role, he has demonstrated a proven track record of development and implementation of business strategies while focusing on employee retention and the health and safety of employees and the community. 

Over the next month, Chris will work closely with Tyson to ensure a smooth transition by Sept. 1. We look forward to working with Chris as he moves into this new role. Please join me in congratulating Chris and welcoming him to CHS SunBasin Growers. 

Steve Kennedy 
Producer Board Chair