A leader at a Salina agriculture manufacturer has been elected to a national Board.

James Shurts was unanimously elected to the Board of Directors of the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association

According to the organization, Shurts becomes part of a 16-person governing board for the Association that serves as voice, advocate, and resource for companies from each link in the farm implement supply chain: manufacturers, providers of component parts and services to those manufacturers, and equipment marketers.

Shurts is President of the Great Plains Ag Division where he has the combined responsibility for various departments including, Parts, Service, Product Development, Sales & Marketing, Training and Finance for the domestic market.  He joined Great Plains in 2019 as a Product Manager, working to successfully bring a strategic and structured approach to the department.  In 2021, Shurts was promoted to Vice President of Sales/Marketing and Product Management.  In his most recent role, Shurts worked in close collaboration with the sales and marketing teams to oversee the implementation of new product launches.

Shurts attended the U.S. Naval Academy and received a B.S. degree in Engineering from Kansas State University and an MBA from Friends University.  He currently lives in Salina with his wife, Jessica, of 25 years. Their family includes two daughters: Emily, currently a seventh-grader, and Abbie, who is a sophomore at Kansas State University.