Kansas City, MO— The Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City will recognize Robert Petersen and Dr. David Nichols with the Jay B. Dillingham Award for Agricultural Leadership and Excellence, honoring their decades of service, leadership, and lasting contributions to agriculture in the Heartland.

The Council will formally present the awards at its Annual Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

“Robert Petersen and Dr. David Nichols exemplify the leadership, service, and commitment to agriculture that the Dillingham Award represents,” said Kristie Larson, Chair of the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City. “Through very different career paths, both have shaped the future of agriculture by investing in people, strengthening institutions, and advancing excellence across our industry. We are proud to recognize their remarkable legacies.”

About the Honorees

Robert Petersen

Robert Petersen served as Executive Director of the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City from 2010 to 2024 and as Council Chair from 2008 to 2010. He retired on September 1, 2024, following a distinguished 50-year career in agriculture, including 20 years as principal of Petersen Consulting Services, a firm specializing in agricultural public relations and representation with diverse audiences.

Earlier in his career, Petersen spent two decades in Washington, D.C., leading a national grain trade organization. In 2000, he and his family relocated to Kansas City, where he held several prominent leadership roles, including President of the Kansas City Board of Trade (2000–2004) and President of the American Royal (2010–2015).

Petersen has been widely recognized for his leadership and service to the agricultural community. The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) named him Ag Association Leader of the Year in 2025 for his work leading the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City, where he expanded the organization’s reach to more than 700 stakeholders, helped launch the Ag Outlook Forum, and played a key role in securing the relocation of major USDA agencies to Kansas City. A native of Burwell, Nebraska, Petersen was raised on a family ranch and is a graduate of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to collaboration, advocacy, and agricultural leadership.

Dr. David Nichols

Dr. David Nichols was raised on a commercial beef cattle, swine, and crop operation near Brookston, Indiana. He is a graduate of Purdue University and earned both his M.S. and Ph.D. from Kansas State University.

Dr. Nichols joined the Kansas State University faculty in 1981 as an Extension specialist and went on to serve in teaching and leadership roles within the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry for more than four decades. From 1998 to 2021, he served as Undergraduate Teaching Coordinator for the department. His primary teaching responsibility, ASI 102: Principles of Animal Science, reached more than 14,000 students during his career.

A highly respected educator and advisor, Dr. Nichols has received numerous honors, including the University Presidential Award for Outstanding Advising, the Commerce Bank Outstanding Teaching Award, and the Dave Mugler Distinguished Faculty Award. A strong supporter of youth livestock programs, he serves on the boards of the Kansas Junior Livestock Show and the American Royal. Dr. Nichols and his wife, Anita, live near Manhattan, Kansas, where they own and operate A&D Ranch.

About the Jay B. Dillingham Award

Each year, the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City recognizes two leaders—one in Kansas and one in Missouri—with the Jay B. Dillingham Award for Agricultural Leadership and Excellence. The award honors individuals who embody the entrepreneurial spirit and leadership that drive economic growth across the Heartland’s agribusiness industry.

Named for the late Jay B. Dillingham, former president of the Kansas City Stockyards and the Chambers of Commerce of Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, the award reflects the legacy of leadership that helped shape the modern Agricultural Business Council. The Council first presented the Dillingham Awards in 2009.