Board of Governors

Ted Huisinga - Board Chair ; CEO, Wilmar Poultry Company

Ted Huisinga's vision and relentless pursuit of innovation have led to the creation of a family of affiliated companies, including Willmar Poultry Company, Life-Science Innovations, Nova-Tech Engineering, Epitopix, MinnWest Technology Campus and Syntiron. Ted currently serves as Chairman and CEO to many of said companies and holds a seat on the board of every affiliate. In a career spanning 60 years, Ted Huisinga and his business partner, Ray Norling, have grown Willmar Poultry Company into the world's largest producer of day-of-age turkey poults, currently supplying 40% of the American commercial turkey market. Ted's impact on the turkey industry cannot be overstated. Simply put, WPC revolutionized the hatching industry and it remains committed to research and development in the areas of disease prevention and control, genetics and turkey production. Ted is a 2007 recipient of the National Turkey Federation Lifetime Achievement Award, a past President of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association and he remains active in a multitude of other industry and trade associations. WPC has remained family owned and operated for 65 years.

Lee Byberg - CEO, Syntiron ; VP of Operations, Life-Science Innovations

Lee Byberg earned his Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration and his MBA both from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Lee has over 20 years of U.S. and international business experience as a consultant through Coopers & Lybrand, Senior Economic Consultant for the Phillips Petroleum Company in Norway, Director of Planning and Economics and later General Manager for Willmar Poultry Company. He is currently the CEO for Syntiron and Vice-President of Operations for Life-Science Innovations & Affiliates. Lee also holds a seat of many of the affliated company boards.

James Sandstrom, DVM - General Manager, Epitopix LLC

Jim Sandstrom received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University Of Minnesota College Of Veterinary Medicine in St. Paul. He began his career in private practice for dairy and small animal medicine and surgery, later working for Hoechst Roussel AgriVet as a Technical Services veterinarian in New Jersey and as Manager of Technical Marketing / Global Feed Additives in Wiesbaden, Germany. Jim has been General Manager of Epitopix, LLC since it formed in 2002 to commercialize its patented SRP® technology and discover new vaccine technologies to improve animal health and food safety. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Swine Practitioners and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, and is board certified by the American College of Poultry Veterinarians.

Scott Norling - Vice President of Administration, Life-Science Innovations

Scott Norling graduated from Moorhead State University (Minnesota) in 1987 with a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration, and from the University of Nebraska in 2008 with his MBA. He began his career at Menard’s Inc. and has worked at the affiliated companies since 1991. Currently, Scott is VP of Administration at Life-Science Innovations. Scott serves on the board of Life-Science Innovations, Nova-Tech Engineering and 11 other affiliates.