Jerrod Westfahl was one of the individuals selected to receive the 2015 Alpha Gamma Rho Grand President's Award. He was honored with the award at the 2015 Leadership Seminar in Ft. Worth, Texas, on February 14. His efforts consistent with the AGR Promise and Values qualified him for this award.
Westfahl joined the Alpha Zeta Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho in 1993 during his time as an undergraduate at Kansas State University. After earning his Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics at Kansas State, he went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas. In his early career, Westfahl served Fortune 500 clients as an attorney with Shook, Hardy and Bacon, LLP. Providing pro bono legal services was also a priority, and he particularly enjoyed helping foster parents adopt their foster children.
Leaving private law practice in 2007, Westfahl joined a venture capital-backed company, which was founded by a fellow AGR. He led the company for several years as President and CEO, and under his leadership, the firm transitioned and grew through several important phases to become an 80-employee disruptor of the multibillion-dollar equipment auction industry. Today, Westfahl continues a part-time law practice as Of Counsel to the law firm Devine and Donley, LLC. Most of his energy, though, is focused on developing businesses in the ag technology space.
In addition to Westfahl's career, community service has been an enduring passion. He became chair of the Kansas FFA Foundation after serving on a task force that restructured the foundation from a dormant concern into an organization that develops and deploys hundreds of thousands of dollars into ag education and leadership programs each year. As treasurer for the Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership program, Westfahl is helping the program – a key part of the leadership development apparatus in Kansas – continue its success as a purely privately-funded institution. He also serves his church on various committees and commissions.
Continuing his commitment to AGR, Westfahl is in his second stint on the board of directors of the Alpha Zeta Chapter alumni association. Building off a strong foundation, he and other Chapter volunteers are working to expand their local scholarship program, develop facilities plans to guarantee the Chapter's status as a "fraternity of the future" on the campus, enhance alumni engagement, and explore new initiatives such as the business- and academia-oriented AGR Spring Symposium, which is holding its inaugural gathering in March 2015.
Jerrod lives in Manhattan, Kansas, with his wife Amy (Moxley) Westfahl and their three young children.
Administered and nominated by a selection committee the Grand President's Award is awarded by AGR for business excellence and professional achievement. It is awarded to specific Fraternity alumni age 40 or under who have achieved remarkable success in their professional careers. This award demonstrates an honorable acknowledgement of Westfahl's leadership, professionalism and knowledge of his industry.
For additional information, contact Sarah Nadler at [email protected] or 816-891-9200, ext. 11.
