Meet the EHedger Team
Justin Kelly - President
Justin Kelly is the President of EHedger and a senior VP of Iowa Grain Company. Justin grew up working on his family’s farm in Western Illinois, and has been intimately involved in the agricultural industry his entire life. Justin started in the business over 10 years ago and his experiences with farming and trading have made him a key factor behind the success of EHedger and Iowa Grain Company.
After graduating from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness Management, Justin was a Chicago Board of Trade member and corn pit broker for Iowa Grain Company until 2006. Upon leaving the trading floor, Justin became President of EHedger where he applies his hands on experience of farming and futures & options trading to help both EHedger and Iowa Grain customers implement risk management strategies tailored to their specific requirements. In addition, Justin is a registered CTA and trades for his own account as well as a select group of clients.
Reggie Griffith - VP and the Chief Compliance Officer
Reggie Griffith is a VP and the Chief Compliance Officer for EHedger and Iowa Grain Company. Reggie grew up in Louisiana and graduated from the University of Texas. He started his career with Morgan Stanley before joining Iowa Grain Company in 2004.
When Reggie joined Iowa Grain he became a member of the CBOT and began working on the trading floor. Reggie executed orders for institutional and commercial customers as well as traded for his own account. After the grain markets went electronic, he moved off the trading floor began working with EHedger advising commercial and institutional customers as well as large grain producers. Also, Reggie has always remained involved in the Iowa Grain research department where he has gained a strong fundamental background in the grain markets. In addition, Reggie recently earned his law degree from Chicago Kent School of Law.
Paul Nelson- Senior Broker
Paul is a 30-year veteran of the Chicago commodity markets, trading grains, oil seeds, livestock, and dairy products. Paul has developed extensive relationships with some of the largest livestock and dairy producers in the world, as well as numerous fortune 100 companies whose businesses are exposed to the agricultural markets. Throughout his 30-plus years in the industry, Paul has worked directly with his clients to deliver first-rate risk and trading strategies, and remains one of the astute livestock and dairy market analysts in the business. Paul received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management; Northwestern University, and his BA/Finance from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.
Dustin Johnson- Broker
Dustin is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a Bachelors Degree from the Haworth College of Business, where his studies targeted the Financial Markets. Dustin has strong experience helping agricultural producers with their price risk management needs. During his time at EHedger, Dustin has built an impressive customer base of large producers throughout the Midwest. On top of agricultural hedging Dustin has a solid understanding of foreign currency markets. Dustin is truly dedicated to providing exceptional customer service to his clients.
Dan Dempsey - Broker
Dan Dempsey was raised on his family’s grain farm in Western Illinois. Upon graduating from Northern Illinois University, Dan worked in healthcare sales for a Fortune 500 company. His responsibilities included handling the office technology for the largest healthcare facilities in Illinois and nurturing those professional relationships. After assuming his role in healthcare for two years, Dan returned to his roots in the grains industry by bringing his fundamental understanding of the markets and his unmatched ability to take care of the needs of his clients. Dan’s focus is on the grain markets, supplemented by a strong understanding of the livestock markets.
Michael Brinati- Broker
Michael is the newest member of the EHedger team. Michael has grown up in the business as both his father and grandfather were members of the exchange. Furthermore, Michael has a solid understand of the grain markets as his family still farms western Illinois. Michael is working as a broker and trading his own account while continuing to finish in business management at DePaul University.
Dayre Lashnits - Finance Director
Dayre Lashnits was born and raised in Denver CO, and graduated from the University of Kansas in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies. She moved to Chicago in 2005 and has been in the futures industry ever since. Dayre started at Iowa Grain Company as a runner and pit clerk, but quickly moved up into the office as Treasury Manager and comes to EHedger directly from the Risk and Margins Department. Along with her broad experience in all the key components of the futures industry, Dayre brings a strong commitment to excellent customer service, solid financial risk controls and resolute ethics that define EHedger’s philosophy
Benny B. Leung - IT Director
Benny spent 9 years in the US army before attending DePaul University where he received his degree in security engineering. Prior to join EHedger, Benny worked at Corn Products. In addition to running the information technology department at Ehedger Benny is finishes up his masters in Network Security.
Alex Carder- IT Staff
Alex joined EHedger in 2008 as a member of the IT department. Alex performs various tasks for the IT department and maintains the company website. In addition to working at EHedger, Alex is currently in his senior year at DePaul University where he is double majoring in Computer Science and Network Technologies.
Hoxie, KS Branch
Gary Moss
Gary Moss has been a broker with E-Hedger since Feb. of 2004. He understands the pitfalls farmers encounter when marketing their grain as he owns and operates a 1500 acre irrigated corn, soybean and wheat farm in northwest Kansas. Gary attended Dodge City Community college and Fort Hays State University and has been a lifelong farmer. He serves on The FSA county committee and is chairman of the board on a rural electric and gas coop. He is also an elder at the Christian Church. Gary has 4 children; Lindsay and Haley of Kansas city, Jake a student at Kansas State University and Jaxsen in high school.
Arcadia, Nebraska Branch
Linda Cruikshank
Linda grew up in the small, beachside town of Encinitas, California. She attended college at San Diego State University where she was a pre-law and international business major. She became interested in marketing and sales, and worked as a private consultant for businesses in the San Diego area. In the late 1980’s, Linda became a Commodities Broker and gained an expertise in hedge and speculative trading strategies. Moving to Nebraska with her family in 1991, she utilized her skills to facilitate and assist in the development of several corporations as well as local economic development groups. One of the areas she felt was underserved was the Ag industry. In early 2003, she launched Progressive Farm Marketing, Inc. and became the Branch Manager for E Hedger, LLC. The company has been assisting area farmers and ranchers in their business and marketing needs ever since. Linda holds a Series 3 and Series 30 Commodities license.
LeAnna Wohlgemuth
LeAnna grew up in rural Southeast Nebraska and was active in the family dairy farm. She attended SCC in Beatrice where she received her Associates Degree in Agribusiness. She previously worked in underwriting within the crop insurance industry and still holds her Producer’s License which she continues to keep active. LeAnna joined the company in July of 2008, and has since secured her Series 3 Commodity Brokerage License. She enjoys working with producers and with her diverse experience in agriculture is able to assist them with many aspects of running a profitable operation.
Pacific Northwest Branch
Jason Ludeman
While in college at Lewis & Clark in Portland, OR, Jason held an Internship with United Harvest, L.L.C. (formerly Harvest States) in their West Coast Wheat Export Office. That experience yielded a Senior Grain Merchandising position for Connell Grain Growers (A Division of CHS, Inc.) in Connell, WA. Jason helped local Grain Producers market Soft White Wheat, Hard Red Winter Wheat, Dark Northern Spring Wheat, Corn, Feed Barley, and Oats. In addition, he managed various Grain Positions for the company, as well as procured grain for their Feed Division. Jason has also held his Series 3 Commodity Brokerage License since February 1998, enabling him to manage a Branch Office for Country Hedging, Inc. for Connell Grain Growers.
In 2004, Jason left the company to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration at the University of Montana in Missoula, MT. Most of his elective coursework was centered on Entrepreneurship, and he received his degree in May of 2007. After graduation, he realized that he was eager to re-establish relationships with the Agricultural Community; bringing a more focused role to implementing Risk Management strategies into their operations. In addition to running a Branch Office of E-Hedger, Jason has continued the theme of managing risk by becoming a licensed Crop Insurance Agent in Montana, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
