Bob Sinner (SB&B Foods, LLC), Partner (Confirmed)
Robert (Bob) Sinner has spent his entire life in North Dakota. After graduating from North Dakota State University with a degree in Agriculture Economics, Bob joined the family farming operation. Before SB&B actively pursued an expansion into international business, Bob served on the Executive Committee of the United Soybean Board and as Chairman of the International Promotion Committee. In 1989, the Company expanded by creating an international business to supply food-quality soybeans and later other food-grade commodities directly to food manufacturers globally. In 2007, SB&B Foods, Inc. was recognized and awarded North Dakota Exporter of the Year. In 2009, SB&B Companies were also presented with the North Dakota Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Bob has served as President of both SB&B Foods, LLC — the organization’s marketing entity and Identity Ag Processing — a state-of-the-art processing company with two locations. He also served on the North Dakota Trade Office Board of Directors from its inception in 2004 to 2022. Bob currently serves on the Board as past Chairman of the U.S. Identity Preserved Alliance, a national business Association representing the identity preserved agriculture industry. He has been and remains active in a variety of state, regional, and national organizations, including the Agriculture Transportation Coalition Advisory Board. His 3 sons are involved in the company’s business.
Justin Benavidez (USDA OCE), Chief Economist (Invited)
Adam Sparger (USDA Agricultural Marketing Service), Director (Invited)
Woan Foong Wong (University of Oregon), Associate Professor (Confirmed)
Woan Foong Wong is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Oregon. She is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Research Affiliate at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and CESifo, and she serves as an Associate Editor at the Journal of International Economics and Economic Inquiry. Her research focuses on international trade, with particular emphasis on how transportation technology and trade policy shape economic activity and trade flows. Her work has been awarded the World Bank’s Sundaran Memorial Prize for Young Malaysian Researchers and supported by institutions including the National Science Foundation, NBER, and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia. She has held visiting positions at the National University of Singapore, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, and the University of Munich. A native of Malaysia, she holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Music Composition from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
