The momentum continues for DMACC's Professional Agricultural Student Organization (PAS) chapter. Competing on home turf at Ankeny Campus earlier this month (Feb. 3-5), DMACC students delivered an impressive performance at the Iowa PAS State Leadership Conference — earning first-place finishes across multiple career program areas, securing officer positions at the state level, qualifying for national competition, and capturing the prestigious 2026 Iowa PAS Premier Chapter Award for the third consecutive year.
The premier chapter award is given to the one Iowa PAS chapter annually that leads the state in active membership, participation, events, and quality of programming.
The conference welcomed 157 students, faculty, and staff from nine Iowa colleges and universities. DMACC was respresented by 38 students from the college's agribusiness, horticulture, and business programs.
Throughout the conference, students competed in Career Program Area (CPA) events designed to strengthen leadership, communcation, organization, and career-specific technical skills. DMACC students secured top-five finishes across a wide range of disciplies, including beef, dairy, farm business, ornamental plant production, sheep/goat, agricultural marketing, career planning, employment interview, and impromput speaking categories.
Several of the teams and individuals listed have qualified for the national conference in Branson, Missouri, March 9-12, where they will compete against PAS members from chapters across the country.
Three DMACC agribusiness students – Ethan Graber, Anna German, and Lauryn Fuchs - ran for state PAS officer positions. Ethan Graber was elected as president, Anna German was elected vice president, and Lauryn Fuchs was elected vice president for 2026-27. DMACC agribusiness students Pat Shaull and Brock Crosman served as voting delegates for the business session.
While attending the conference, students engaged with sponsoring industry partners and networked with their peers from other institutions.
The DMACC PAS chapter is led by student president Caleb Johnson and agribusiness faculty members Andrea Rouse and Emily Jensen, who serve as co-advisors. Horticulture faculty member Christina Riessen also assists the chapter.
Top-five finishes for DMACC's CPA entries included:
- Beef Team – Delaney Bulechek (Oxford), Stella Sayers (Marengo), Lexi Cochrane (Lowden) – 2nd Place
- Delaney Bulechek – 4th Place Individual, Beef
- Dairy Team – Jay Bru (Gladbrook), Leah Huebner (Ames), Sam Whistler (Altoona) – 2nd Place
- Jay Bru – 4th Place Individual, Dairy
- Farm Business Team 1 – Brady Streeter (New Virginia), Caleb Van Essen (Pella), Holt Charleville (Indianola) – 3rd Place
- Farm Business Team 2 – Ethan Graber (Mount Pleasant), Jacob Halder (Fonda), Caleb Johnson (Van Meter) – 5th Place
- Brady Streeter – 4th Place Individual, Farm Business
- Ornamental Plant Team 1 – Aubrey Roth (Saint Charles), Hannah Schilling (Bondurant) – 1st Place
- Ornamental Plant Team 2 – Kuenn Harder (Ames), Charlotte Judkins (Des Moines) – 2nd Place
- Ornamental Plant Team 3 – Jacob Smith (Newton), Carter Olson (Ames) – 3rd Place
- Ornamental Plant Team 4 – Max Havlik (Madrid), Eric Naberhaus (Indianola) – 4th Place
- Ornamental Plant Team 5 – Sarah Wheeler (Johnston), Finn Lenderts (Johnston) – 5th Place
- Aubrey Roth – 1st Place Individual, Ornamental Plant Production
- Hannah Schilling – 2nd Place Individual, Ornamental Plant Production
- Jacob Smith – 3rd Place Individual, Ornamental Plant Production
- Kuenn Harder – 4th Place Individual, Ornamental Plant Production
- Sarah Wheeler – 5th Place Individual, Ornamental Plant Production
- Sheep/Goat Team 1 – Anna German (Pella), Rylie Cummins (Bondurant) – 1st Place
- Sheep/Goat Team 2 – Brock Crosman (Ogden), Pat Shaull (Hartwick), Lauryn Fuchs (Bondurant) – 3rd Place
- Anna German – 1st Place Individual, Sheep/Goat
- Rylie Cummins – 3rd Place Individual, Sheep/Goat
- Brock Crosman – 5th Place Individual, Sheep/Goat
- Swine – Laynie Gawley (Irwin), Zoey Soma (Dunlap), Kylie Blunt (Colwell) – 5th Place
- Anna German – 5th Place Individual, Agricultural Education
- Austyn Funcke (Jefferson) -5th Place Individual, Agricultural Marketing and Communications
- Ethan Graber – 4th Place Individual, Agriculture Sales
- Riley Keller (Adel) - 3rd Place Individual, Animal Health/Vet Tech
- Kylie Blunt – 1st Place Individual, Career Planning
- Laynie Gawley – 2nd Place Individual, Career Planning
- Dylan Mathern (Reinbeck) – 2nd Place Individual, Employment Interview
- Holly Zahurones (Baxter) – 3rd Place Individual, Employment Interview
- Pat Shaull – 3rd Place Individual, Employment Interview
- Rylee Vohs (Moville) – 2nd Place Individual, Impromptu Speaking
- Brock Crosman – 3rd Place Individual, Impromptu Speaking
Andrea Rouse, DMACC PAS co-advisor, serves on the Iowa State PAS Board of Directors as treasurer and gave the treasurer’s report at the closing session of the conference. Andrea also serves as the state and national CPA coordinator for the Agronomy, Prepared Speaking, and Impromptu Speaking events.
Emily Jensen, DMACC PAS co-advisor, serves as the state and national CPA coordinator for the Agriculture Marketing & Communications event.
Christina Riessen, DMACC horticulture instructor, serves as the state and national CPA co-coordinator for the horticulture team events.
Dr. Amy Fertig, DMACC veterinary technology instructor, serves as the state CPA coordinator for the Animal Health/Vet Tech event.
Member Lillian Bru (’25 Agribusiness) retired from her year of service to Iowa PAS as state vice president.