About Us
Meet Our Staff
Staff - Administrator
Jim Peterson
Jim Peterson is Administrator of the North Dakota Wheat Commission. He assists in the development and coordination of budget and program priorities, and directs staff in the implementation of the producer-funded projects and activities that have been approved by the Board. Major focus areas are international market development, research, domestic promotion, producer education, transportation and trade policy. In these efforts, Peterson works directly with many partnering organizations to ensure funding and policy goals are achieved. All activities are designed to improve the competitiveness of North Dakota grown wheat in the U.S. and global market, and enhance market opportunities for producers. Peterson has made maintaining the premium quality attributes of North Dakota grown wheat a priority during his time with the Commission. He often presents quality and marketing information at customer and producer seminars, and assists with writing for Commission publications. Peterson is a board member of the Wheat Quality Council, and is a member of the Advisory Council for the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute. He serves as Co-Chair of the Wheat Transportation Working Group, and is a member of the Wheat Quality Committee for U.S. Wheat Associates. Peterson joined the Commission as a marketing specialist in 1991, and was promoted to marketing director in 1998, and Policy and Marketing Director in 2014. He was appointed Administrator in 2025. Earlier in his career, Peterson was a grain merchandiser for Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Decatur, Ill. He worked with corn and soybean purchasing at an Illinois river terminal and with canola in Velva, N.D. Peterson is a graduate of North Dakota State University with a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics. He grew up on a farm near Makoti, N.D., where he continues his interest in the family's sheep and beef cattle operation. Jim and his wife Peggy, have two grown children and make their home in Bismarck.
Staff - Market Development and Research Manager
Erica Olson
No market too big. No market too small. As the NDWC's Market Development and Research Manager, Erica Olson hopes to show every market interested in U.S. wheat that North Dakota grows some of the best. She focuses her efforts in export marketing, trade policy and issues, and research and customer service, working to gain North Dakota wheat a bigger portion of the world and domestic market. Through statistical analysis of supply and demand relationships, along with the study of production marketing and the competitiveness of North Dakota wheat and durum, Olson has her eye on the world of wheat. She plays a large role in showing foreign buyers and interested markets what North Dakota has to offer them in high quality wheat and the end-products it can produce for them. From organizing trade team activities to watching the ups and downs of the wheat market, she stays abreast of the wheat's daily journey in the world marketplace. Her duties include market study and analysis, and implementation of the Commission's market development and sales promotion activities. Olson joined the Commission in 2006, coming to us from the North Dakota Trade Office and U.S. Commercial Service where she worked directly with market research and export assistance for a number of North Dakota companies. She also brings with her experience from her internships with the North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service and the National Farmers' Union, Washington, D.C. Olson is originally from Mohall, where her family operates a small grain and oilseed farm. She is a graduate of Mohall High School and received her undergraduate and master's degrees in agribusiness and applied economics at North Dakota State University. She and her husband Craig have four children and make their home on a farm near Colfax.
Staff - Accounting Specialist
Keri Ell
Keri Ell is the North Dakota Wheat Commission's accounting specialist. If the job relates to money, chances are Ell takes care of it. She is responsible for collecting the Commission's checkoff revenue, processing producer requests for refunds, paying bills, preparing monthly payroll reports and developing monthly financial statements. She assists with annual budget preparation, monitoring of research and service contracts, and general office work. She and her husband Casey live in Bismarck and have three daughters.
Staff - Administrative Assistant
Jolene Beehler
Jolene Beehler is the Commission's administrative assistant, Beehler provides all-around clerical and office support to the board of commissioners and staff. Her duties include taking minutes at board meetings, maintaining office records and files, assisting with correspondence, developing and updating presentation materials, coordinating meetings and special events, and layout and design of publications. Beehler holds an associate's degree in business administration from Bismarck State College. She has previous experience with the North Dakota Tax Department and the North Dakota Grain Growers Association. The Commission attributes Beehler's good work ethic to the fact that she grew up on a dairy farm near New Salem, N.D. Jolene and her husband Bruce make their home in Mandan.
