Champion for cooperatives
By TF Staff
Retired MFA President Ernie Verslues is among four leaders inducted to MIC Hall of Fame
Ernie Verslues, recently retired president and CEO of MFA Incorporated, has been inducted into the Missouri Institute of Cooperatives (MIC) Hall of Fame. Verslues was recognized Nov. 6 during the MIC annual banquet in Columbia.
During his 38-year career at MFA Incorporated, Verslues helped guide MFA through a cultural and strategic transformation—redefining its mission, modernizing infrastructure and strengthening governance, always with a team-centered approach.
“When I joined MFA in 1987, I didn’t know a lot about cooperatives, but they were a perfect fit for the values I had,” Verslues said. “Throughout my career, I really wanted to give back to this industry and make sure the things I did helped strengthen the cooperative model. I want to thank MIC and its members for this award.”
Verslues is a passionate educational advocate who helped establish the MFA Professorship in Agribusiness at Mizzou, expanded scholarship support for agricultural students and represented Missouri cooperatives through the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership (GICL).
“Under his leadership, Ernie helped increase efficiencies and streamline operations so that we could do what’s best for the member-owners and MFA,” said MFA Board Chairman Don Schlesselman in presenting the award. “He has always been very supportive of the leadership team, and he made us a better board. And in everything he did, he was always a champion for cooperatives.”
Joining Verslues in the MIC Hall of Fame for 2025 were Dan Singletary, soon-to-retire CEO of Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative; Dr. Michael Cook, emeritus executive director of the University of Missouri’s GICL; and Chris Hamon, recently retired CEO of White River Valley Electric Cooperative.
MIC is dedicated to fostering a thriving cooperative community in Missouri through the collective efforts of its diverse membership base, which includes cooperatives in agriculture, rural electric, finance, petroleum and more. The MIC Hall of Fame honors leaders of Missouri’s cooperatives and is updated each year through a nomination and selection process. Learn more at mic.coop.
Cutline: MFA Board Chairman Don Schelesselman, right, presents the 2025 Missouri Institute of Cooperatives Hall of Fame award to Ernie Verslues, retired CEO of MFA Incorporated.