Head & Ainsworth Transition to New Roles
Feb 12, 2024
Kanza Cooperative Association is excited to announce personnel changes. Gary Head has been selected for the newly created role of Regional Operations Manager. Tim Ainsworth has been promoted into Head’s former role as Sedgwick Location Manager.
The Regional Operations Manager role is designed to shift many operational responsibilities from current business unit managers to allow them more time to focus on other business critical activities like grain merchandising and product sales. It will also help coordinate and implement employee training, compliance with safety standards and maintenance work.
“One of the advantages of our growth as an organization is the ability to have people specialize so we can provide the highest quality service to our members,” says Kanza CEO Alan Woodard. “This newly created role is going to help oversee communication across all of our locations which will ensure proper training, safety, maintenance are consistent to keep all of our locations running reliably for our members.”
Head has worked at and managed cooperative locations for his entire career making him a logical choice and wealth of knowledge for this role. He has been the Sedgwick Location Manager for eight and a half years. Prior to that, Head spent 15 years working for Pride Ag Cooperative at Ensign running elevators and their 110 car train loading system. During this time he completed the CHS Manager Training program. Head started his career in his hometown of Scott City working for the Scott Cooperative. Head and his wife of 39 years, Melody, have one son, Landon and his wife Alexis.
Head sees this role as an exciting opportunity to help Kanza and our members be more profitable, stating, “I look forward to being able to go around to all of the locations and get to know the Location Managers better and helping them with their needs.”
Head is leaving the Sedgwick location in very capable hands. Tim Ainsworth will be celebrating his 10 year anniversary with Kanza in July. He emphasized that he expects business and customer service to be uninterrupted through the transition.
“I am excited to keep customer relations going strong,” says Ainsworth. “Things run pretty well here and most people know me from the elevator. We are going to keep up good communication with our farmers and do our best to meet their expectations for service.”
Ainsworth is originally from the Newton area. His previous roles were in construction, trucking and other industries. Between Ainsworth and his wife of 13 years Briana, they have seven children.