GUEST SPEAKER

SIKESTON -- Charles Kruse, former director of the Missouri Department of agriculture, will be guest speaker at the 1991 Sikeston Production Credit Association annual meeting, to be held at the Sikeston Public High School here Aug. 15, at 7 p.m.

Kruse has farm operations in and around Dexter. He has a B.S. degree in agronomy from Arkansas State State University at Jonesboro, and a M.S. degree in agronomy from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

He was appointed director of agriculture by Gov. John Ashcroft in January of 1985. In 1990, he was appointed by President George Bush to the President's Council on Rural America. He has been selected as 1991 Missouri Man of the Year by Progressive Farmer, and received the 1991 Outstanding Service to Agriculture award from the Missouri Farm bureau Federation. He also received the 1991 Agri-business Distinguished Service Award form the Missouri Chamber of Commerce.

He recently resigned as director of agriculture to accept a position as executive vice president of the North American Equipment Dealers Association, effective Aug. 1.