The new president of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association (IFCA) says she is ready to get to work advocating for the organization's membership.

Jenny Webb, who most recently served as associate director of industry affairs with the Illinois Farm Bureau, told Brownfield, "I'm really excited to join the team at IFCA and looking forward to getting out to meeting members and finding out about the value that IFCA offers them, and how I can amplify that, and how can we make sure that we're providing them with the services they need as members, and then we'd like to grow membership in the future as well."

A native of McLean County, Webb says she is also looking forward to building relationships with state and federal lawmakers.

"Making sure we can advocate for our members the best that we can, whether that be legislative advocacy, regulation, supporting our members if they run into a regulatory hurdle of some kind, making sure we can get them the information that they need, and then advocacy in Springfield as well," she said.

That legislative and regulatory focus comes as the crop input sector continues to navigate oversight spanning nutrient management, pesticide application, and storage and handling requirements — areas where state-level rules in Springfield and federal agencies both shape day-to-day operations for retailers and applicators.

Nate Pierce, IFCA Board Chairman, praised the appointment. "Jenny's combination of agricultural knowledge, relationship-building skills, and commitment to serving the industry made her the clear choice to lead IFCA into its next chapter," Pierce said. "Our industry faces both significant opportunities and increasingly complex challenges, and Jenny brings the leadership, strategic perspective, and collaborative approach needed to strengthen our organization, serve our members, and strengthen the agribusiness sector across Illinois."

Webb's move to IFCA also continues a path between two of the state's major agricultural organizations; the Illinois Farm Bureau, her previous employer, is a grassroots farm organization with county affiliates across the state, while IFCA serves the agribusiness supply side.

The Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association represents approximately 1,000 businesses and individuals involved in Illinois' crop production supply and service industry.

Brownfield spoke with Webb at IFCA's 2026 MAGIE show in Bloomington.

Source: Brownfield Ag News