Who We Are
AGRI-SEARCH is committed to serving the agricultural industry with integrity, passion, and excellence by assisting our candidates to reach their career goals and helping our client companies build successful teams.
Professional Agricultural Recruiters You Can Trust
Dave Allen
dave@agri-search.com
(217) 543-2505
Dave received his Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education and Master’s degree in Agronomy from the University of Illinois. After participating for six months in the FFA Work Experience Abroad program in West Germany, Dave joined the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service Staff.
He served as Agricultural Extension Advisor for 3 ½ years in his home county of Shelby and 4 ½ years in Piatt County. Dave worked for eight years as a sales agronomist for two Illinois cooperatives, Grand Prairie Co-op and Effingham Equity, before joining AGRI-SEARCH in 1999 and purchasing the business in 2001. Dave is married with three grown children. He enjoys spending time with family, Illini basketball, Cardinal baseball, and being active in Promise Keepers. Dave specializes in placing personnel in the grain industry and working with agricultural companies and boards in management and leadership succession.
Jim Fleming
jim@agri-search.com
(217) 543-2505
With nearly 35 years in the agribusiness industry, Jim is considered an expert in his field and has been interviewed on AGRI-TALK, Brownfield Network, RFD Network, Cromwell Ag Radio, Wisconsin Farm Network, Farmweek News, and both the Illinois and Indiana Agri-News. Jim supports the industry through his involvement in the American Seed Trade Association, Independent Professional Seed Association, Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, Wisconsin Agribusiness Association, and the Indiana Crop Improvement Association.
On the local level, Jim takes an active role in the FFA and 4-H organizations and volunteers in his community and church. His hobbies are collecting Oliver, Minneapolis-Moline, and JI Case tractors and farm implements and participating in antique farm shows throughout the country. He also enjoys gardening and working in the yard.
Vic Heinold
vic@agri-search.com
(217) 543-2505
Vic was raised in Kouts, Indiana. He graduated from Kouts High School and attended Purdue University. In 1976, he assumed the responsibility for the family business, Heinold Elevator and Feeds. During his tenure from 1976 until 2004, Heinold Feeds became one of the top specialty feed manufacturers in the nation and a highly recognized pre-mix manufacturer specializing in Dairy.
In November of 2004, Vic was elected to the Indiana State Senate where he sponsored and authored numerous bills making Indiana a business-friendly state for agriculture, especially ethanol production. In May of 2007, he retired from the Senate and accepted a full-time position with Consolidated Grain & Barge as General Manager of the Feed Ingredient Division with a strong emphasis on Distillers Dried Grains. Vic left CGB in the fall of 2011, and in October 2011, he joined AGRI-SEARCH as a Professional Agricultural Recruiter specializing in the grain and feed and nutrition industries and a variety of management positions with state and national agriculture associations.
He is the father of five children and proud grandfather of 16. His civic activities, to name a few, include The Gideons International, Florida Guardian ad Litem Program, Florida Feed Association, American Feed Industry Association, and Indiana Grain and Feed Association of which he served as Chairman.
Chelbi Williams Alt
chelbi@agri-search.com
(217) 543-2505
During her 13-year tenure with GSI, Chelbi managed the Inside Sales, Customer Service, and Technical Support teams. She also worked as a Global Project Manager implementing Salesforce.com and the Dealer Portal (ONE GSI).
Chelbi joined the AGRI-SEARCH team in 2019 as a Professional Recruiter specializing in Sales and Sales Management. Chelbi and her husband reside in Westville, Indiana.
Along with her older sister, Chelbi founded the Casey Williams Foundation in memory of their younger sister. Partnering with five other Board members, they focus their efforts on promoting the need for organ and tissue donation while helping families on their organ and tissue donation journey. She has a true passion for helping others and working with people. Her favorite pastime is being with her family and friends, especially her nephew and nieces.
Jodi Wortham
jodi@agri-search.com
(217) 543-2505
For nearly 10 years, from 1999 to 2008, Jodi provided outstanding customer service as an employee of Consolidated Communications, while earning promotions to supervisory leadership roles in billing response, operator services, and collections. More recently, from 2008 to 2021, she worked in the laboratory at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center, serving as a Department Secretary and Outreach User Support Specialist.
Jodi joined the AGRI-SEARCH team as Office and Data Administrator in 2021. A consummate professional, she is a powerful force in the workplace and encourages others to work hard and succeed with her tireless energy and positive attitude.
Jodi and her husband reside in Allenville, Illinois. She is a proud wife, mother and grandmother. In her free time, she enjoys traveling to any warm climate with a beach and spending quality time with her granddaughter.
Bob Pike
bob@agri-search.com
(217) 543-2505
In 1988, Bob joined Morning Glory Eggs as the project director for the commercialization of a North Carolina State University patent for the production of an extended shelf-life liquid eggs. This patented egg product revolutionized and disrupted the egg product industry. For the first time liquid eggs could be stored for over 6 months verses a few days. Shortly after “Easy Eggs” was introduced to the market, Morning Glory Eggs was acquired by Michael Foods which has grown into the largest egg product company in the US. In addition to being the project director, Bob was appointed as the National Sales Manager for Industrial users.
In 1991, he was a part of the launch of Eggland’s Best Eggs, another egg product that has been a major disrupter in the in the egg industry. He joined Braswell Foods as its Vice President/General Manager. While at Braswell, he was responsible for all operational and marketing functions for five subsidiaries, in addition to managing the second largest franchisee of Eggland’s Best Eggs. Under his tenure, the company enjoyed substantial growth in sales of various products including, branded shell egg and liquid egg products, organic feed, and organic eggs.
In 2008 Bob founded GCB Foods, LLC. GCB Foods produced and marketed organic eggs in a manner that addressed ethical production issues such as food quality and safety, animal welfare and environmental protection. The company also provided consultation services in business development for the waste management, pharmaceutical, and agri-business. Bob also served as interim US General Manager for MOBA and Business Manager for Bartlett Milling’s commercial feed division.
He has held appointed positions on the American Egg Board, President of North Carolina Egg Association, Secretary of US Egg Marketers, Board Member of the North Carolina Agri-Business Council, and served as United Egg Producer’s Environmental Committee Chairman. Bob also was the chairman of the Agricultural Air Research Council that was a joint effort with animal agriculture and FDA addressing the impact of the Clean Air Act on animal agriculture. He has also consulted congress regarding USDA’s organic programs.
His favorite pastime is spending time with his best friend and wife Cindy and their 4 children and 5 grandchildren.
Brad Jansen
brad@agri-search.com
(217) 543-2505
Brad and his wife are the owners of a Montessori Preschool located in Effingham, Illinois. They are the proud parents of four children. Brad’s interests include Fighting Illini Basketball, quail hunting, hiking, playing and coaching sports, and spending time with family. Brad joined AGRI-SEARCH in 2022 as a recruiter specializing in Grain.
Sam Trcka
samjtrcka@outlook.com
(217) 543-2505
Sam Trcka grew up in northwest Iowa, where her family still raises corn and soybeans. She graduated with a degree in Agricultural Business from South Dakota State University in 2017. Sam spent 3 years working as a grain merchandiser for Ag Processing Inc. (AGP) in Iowa and Nebraska at their soybean processing plants. She then worked in Minneapolis, MN as a commodity broker for StoneX for 2.5 years. Sam joined the AGRI-SEARCH team in 2023 as a recruiter specializing in the grain industry.
Sam and her husband reside in Montgomery, MN, where they also farm together. They are the proud parents of one young daughter. In her free time, Sam enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also loves to bake, cook, and trace when she gets the chance.
Rich Connell
Retired
Rich received his Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Iowa State University and spent nine years on the family farm in northwest Iowa. The next 23 years he worked in sales and management with Farmland Industries.
Rich then joined the farmer-marketing program for a commodity brokerage firm where he established a personnel search division before forming his own company, Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH, Inc. in 1995. Officially retired since December 31, 2001, Rich enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, University of Illinois football and basketball, and attending several trade shows and career fairs each year with the RCAS staff.