Courtney Knupp officially became chief executive officer of the United Soybean Board (USB) on October 1, 2026, stepping into a role that puts her at the center of soy demand strategy for the U.S. food, feed, and fuel supply chains. The appointment, ratified by USB's board of farmer-leaders in July, places a former National Security Council director in charge of the national Soy Checkoff program.
Knupp's Background
Knupp arrives at USB with nearly two decades of experience spanning agriculture, international trade, public policy, and market development. Most recently, she served as director of global supply chain at the National Security Council, where she coordinated U.S. policy to strengthen the resilience of the nation's agriculture and food sectors — a mandate with direct implications for foodservice operators and food manufacturers who depend on stable soy-derived ingredient supplies. She has also held roles at the National Pork Board, the U.S. Soybean Export Council, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She grew up on her family's soybean farm in Iowa and holds a degree in agricultural business and international agriculture from Iowa State University.
Priorities for the Checkoff
In her initial months, Knupp plans to engage farmer-leaders and staff across the Qualified State Soybean Boards while centering her strategy on diversifying demand for U.S. soybeans. That means reinforcing established markets in animal feed, soybean oil, and biofuels — all critical inputs for restaurant and foodservice operators navigating volatile commodity costs — while identifying where future demand growth will emerge. Soybean oil remains one of the most widely used cooking fats in commercial kitchens, and shifts in checkoff investment priorities can reverberate across the foodservice and beverage industry supply chain.
"Taking this job is really the culmination of bringing all my experience together to work most effectively for farmers," Knupp said. "That's truly the mission."
USB Chair Brent Gatton underscored confidence in her direction, noting that USB's farmer-leaders expect her to build on existing checkoff momentum and help U.S. soybean farmers capture emerging market opportunities. USB's 77 farmer-leaders oversee checkoff investments across research, promotion, and education in food, feed, fuel, industrial uses, exports, and sustainable production. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service maintains oversight of USB and the Soy Checkoff under the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
