Director Position 1: Heartland Carolyn Dunn

Carolyn Dunn

Age as of March 1, 2026:       55

Residence Location:   St. John, Kansas

Place of Operation:  St. John, Kansas

Business Experience: I have been a partner with my husband for 25 years in our diversified farming operation that includes a registered Gelbvieh cattle herd and crops including wheat, corn, alfalfa, and corn. We have steadily grown and are now at a point where we are strategically managing to provide the opportunity for our three sons to join the operation. I also work off-farm at Stafford County Economic Development where we strive to expand the local economy to stabilize population decline and expand tax base, which indirectly supports the farm economy. My most recent work is in developing the Port Authority of Stafford County, which is a public railroad transload facility featuring a unit train loop track. Set to open in mid-2026, it will provide more efficient transportation for grain and agricultural inputs, and endeavors to provide a stronger competitive advantage in our region for agriculture and other industries. 

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Economics 
• Master’s Degree in Business Administration

Current Boards: 

• Port Authority of Stafford County 
• Price Investment Group, LLC
• American AgCredit

Strategic & Visionary Thinking: I often process information and ideas in the context of the big picture. Locally, much of my work has been focused on strategic community dev example, when serving on our school board our budget challenges were largely attributed to declining enrollment. I worked to develop an effective economic development agency, which led to an even larger strategic project to develop a regional transportation hub that serves the agriculture industry, improves local tax base and creates jobs. 

Corporate Governance: I have been actively responsible for writing organizational bylaws and policies for Stafford County Economic Development and Stafford Port Authority. I understand the significance of formal documentation of processes and authorizations and operating the organization within established guidelines. Additionally, I’ve served on the AAC Governance Committee for the past two years.

Financial Expertise: In my economic development role, I am responsible for the financial management a $40 million organization. My formal education is in agricultural economics and business  administration. I continually work to improve my skills to not only read financial statements, but more effectively understand underlying trends and causes in a more complex organization such as AAC. 

Communication: I have considerable training in leadership styles, which includes improving awareness of others’ communication and working styles, and an increased awareness of how you listen and deploy yourself. My natural communication style is direct, and I work to be more sensitive yet clear particularly in my spoken communication. Some of the skill in communication within a board setting is having discernment on what is best brought up in a full board meeting vs. what can be addressed in a different setting. The AAC board has been evolving to enable more questions to be presented before the board meets in person, and I think this can be quite effective. In addition to board communications, I’ve been a spokesperson for ag on TV, radio, newspaper, the Kansas Legislature, and the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Technology: I routinely use business technology tools for communication and recordkeeping. I work in a small office and am responsible for set up of systems and interfacing compatible software. When problems occur, I have to troubleshoot. I’m proficient at a user level but am not an IT expert. Yet, I try to read current literature to be aware of trends, risks, and opportunities in a constantly evolving IT landscape in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and tools available to improve efficiency. 

Human Resource Management: On our farm we utilize the H2a program and in my economic development role we have used innovative approaches to attract interns and develop a pipeline of talent. As qualified labor can be challenging to attract in both rural and urban settings and all skill levels, employers have to be aware of employees view work/life balance, training, communication, the role of the employer in creating employee job satisfaction, clear articulation of expectations, and a compensation system that is competitive and aligns employer and employee goals. AAC has leaned into remote work for key positions, which has to be coupled with a strong system for accountability and keeping employees engaged with each other and the organization.

Risk Management: Identifying the variables that can be controlled and managed is the basis of effective risk management, coupled with actively making decisions among the options available. I also think there are often more options available to a decision maker than are initially understood. If I were to assess my risk tolerance on a scale of 10, I’d say I’m an 8. I value growth and like trying to achieve a better result rather than be satisfied with the status quo.

Leadership: I’ve been involved in Kansas agriculture in various ways for nearly 35 years. In my early career I worked in agriculture policy in Washington, D.C. for seven years. My husband Brian and I were involved in Young Farmer and Rancher activities through Kansas Farm Bureau and were runner up AFBF Young Farmer and Rancher of the Year in 2005. Past board positions include Kansas Corn Commission, Kansas Bank Board, USD 350 Board of Education, Stafford County Hospital, Golden Belt Community Foundation, KS Dept of Transportation Freight Advisory Board, and facilitator for Leadership Golden Belt. I’m currently President of Port Authority of Stafford County.