Staff
Tom Malecha
Tom Malecha, Executive Vice President of CGB Enterprises, Inc., is the SVP of the Soybean Processing division and the President of North Dakota Soybean Processors, LLC.
Tom grew up on a family grain and poultry farm in Northfield, MN. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Ag Business. After graduation, he joined CGB for 6 years as a merchandiser then was promoted to merchandising manager at Mound City. He spent a year at Pearl City Elevator as the grain department manager then went to CHS for 28 years.
Tom has held numerous positions within the Oilseed and Ag Processing division including; managing the soy nutrition business with plants in the US, Israel, and China. He was the SVP of CHS’s Ag Processing division responsible for their soy & canola crushing and refining, ethanol, and sunflower businesses prior to his departure. Tom rejoined CGB in 2022 to lead the company’s soybean processing division.
He has served over 25 years as a board member on NOPA (National Oilseed Processing Association), including eight years on the executive committee, including two as Chairman of the Board.
Tom is married to his wife Cathy and has a son Blake, and daughter Lindsey. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, fishing, and all sports.
Kristy VanMeter
Kristy VanMeter is a human resources professional with years of experience in various roles and industries. She joined CGB Enterprises, a leading grain and transportation company, in January of 2014 and has since been involved in various HR functions and projects. She currently serves as the Senior HR Business Partner for Soybean Division for CGB and North Dakota Soybean Processors. She is based in the Mt Vernon, IN office and works closely with the divisional leadership team and employees. She regularly travels to Casselton to work directly with the NDSP leadership team and employees.
Kristy started her career at CGB as the HR Manager for the Processing and Fertilizer divisions, as well as multiple Grain and Terminal regional groups. She handled various HR tasks and initiatives, such as employee relations, performance management, training, and compliance. In addition to her HR position, she recruited for grain salaried positions and campus recruitment, where she was responsible for sourcing, screening, and hiring qualified candidates for the company. In 2020, she focused solely on the HRBP role and has been instrumental in driving employee engagement, retention, and development across the team’s she supports.
Kristy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. She has a passion for HR and enjoys helping people grow and succeed in their careers. Prior to joining CGB, she worked for an international food and beverage company in HR, sales, and management roles, where she gained valuable experience and skills in various aspects of the business. She is a certified Professional in Human Resources (SHRM-CP) and a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Kristy is married, has two daughters, Corrine and Carly and two doodles. She enjoys time with family, hunting, being outdoors, and traveling to new places.
Leah Lage, Accounting Manager
Leah Lage is the Accounting Manager at NDSP. She joined the company in February 2022 as the first employee and worked remotely until the office was established. She also traveled frequently to the soybean crush plant in Indiana for training and development for two years. Her duties include overseeing the accounting clerks, preparing monthly reports, handling daily transactions, and ensuring accuracy and compliance in payables and receivables. Leah has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Before joining NDSP, she gained experience in Accounts Payable at a marketing/advertising company and a wholesale distributing company.
Jennifer Hiedeman, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager
Jennifer Hiedeman, a life-long resident of North Dakota, raised by the border and born in Canada, serves as the Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager, for NDSP. Jennifer manages the facility’s food safety programs, lab, customer, and quality audits. Since 2001, she has held various positions in the oilseed industry, developing her industry knowledge and experience. Jennifer is certified in Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP); Food Safety Preventative Controls for Animal and Human Food (FSPCA); FoodChain ID Academy Internal Auditor, and Safe Quality Food Practitioner for Food Manufacturing.
NDSP is committed to consistently providing safe quality food, and adheres to the highest standards of food safety rules and requirements.. NDSP is a member of National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) The NOPA trading rules, and American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS) Edible Fats and Oils Methods for Lab Quality Testing, assure customers they are receiving quality products, and we strictly follow the FDA and Food Safety Modernization Act requirements.
