The Ohio AgriBusiness Association (OABA) is pleased to welcome Aaron Heilers as its director of nutrient management and agricultural policy. In his position, Heilers will oversee all aspects of the association's water quality, nutrient management and sustainability efforts, as well as serve as the executive director of the Nutrient Stewardship Council.
Heilers’ first day with the association is August 1.
“We are excited to have Aaron join the OABA team,” said Chris Henney, CAE, OABA president and CEO. “He brings with him deep experience in and knowledge of water quality, agriculture and nutrient management that will be very beneficial to OABA, our members and the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program.”
Heilers is a 2006 graduate of The Ohio State University where he studied landscape horticulture
and agribusiness and earned a B.S. in agriculture. He is a certified conservation planner with a specialty in nutrient management planning and holds the designation of Certified Crop Adviser.
Previously, Heilers was the project manager for the Blanchard River Watershed Demonstration Farms Network, a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation designed to showcase and demonstrate conservation practices that improve agricultue’s impact on downstream water quality in Ohio. He was also employed with the Auglaize Soil and Water Conservation District as a nutrient management technician and the Miami Soil and Water Conservation District as a drainage technician.
Heilers has been active in the Ohio Farm Bureau at the county, state and national levels and currently serves on the board of the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association. He, his wife and four sons have a grain farm as well as a wine-grape vineyard in Shelby County.