Air Date: September 3, 2026
Cooperative Hall of Fame, Marketing/Producer Co-ops

Co-op Hall of Fame Tribute: Honoring Kevin Still’s Cooperative Legacy

Share

Add to Calendar

Tune in Live Here

This Thursday @ 10:30am ET
for Everything Co-op, hosted by Vernon Oakes

This episode continues our tribute to the 2026 Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductees with a special conversation featuring Kevin Still, cooperative leader and agricultural innovator. Vernon and Kevin will discuss his cooperative journey and his leadership in growing cooperative enterprises, serving farmers, developing people, and strengthening rural communities.

Kevin Still’s cooperative journey began growing up on a farm in west-central Illinois and working for a farmer-owned cooperative early in his career. He went on to become President and CEO of Keystone Cooperative, Inc., where his leadership helped guide the integration of nine cooperatives and transform Keystone into a major agricultural cooperative serving more than 20,000 farmer-members across Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois.

Under Still’s leadership, Keystone expanded its services in agronomy, fuels and propane, swine and animal nutrition, and grain marketing, while growing from 35 employees to approximately 2,000. His approach to cooperative leadership has emphasized strategic growth, innovative governance, strong financial management, and developing employees who can carry the cooperative forward.

Still has also provided significant leadership to the broader agricultural cooperative system through his 23 years of board service with CoBank, where he has served as chair since 2020. He has been active with the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) and other agricultural and cooperative organizations.

A 46-year veteran of the cooperative movement, Still has been recognized for his contributions to cooperative business, agricultural policy, education, and rural communities. His commitment to giving back is reflected in Keystone’s support for agricultural education, food security, and farm and energy safety initiatives.

Be certain to tune into what promises to be a lively conversation!

Our host, Vernon Oakes, is a consummate advocate for cooperatives. He is a Past President of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives, and he’s served on several boards and committees to advance the interests of cooperatives. Recently, he served on the Limited Equity Cooperative Task Force, established by Anita Bonds, At-Large Member of the Council of the District of Columbia. Vernon is an MBA graduate of Stanford University, who has used his business acumen to benefit the community, by promoting the added value of the cooperative business model.