A fifth generation Kansan, I was born and raised on my family farm in Quinter, Kansas. My great-great-grandfather on my mother’s side of our family, John Winger, established a farm in Stanton County in 1886 and my great-great-grandfather on my father’s side, Mathew Mann, settled and began to farm in Gove County in the spring of 1902.
As a child and young man, I learned the value of hard work by laboring in the fields and feed yard with my grandfather, father, and brother. Like many Kansas ag producers, I spent countless hours on the tractor and combine and worked thousands of head of cattle. Some of my fondest memories of those days were working cattle with my family on Saturday afternoons while listening to K-State football on the radio. I return home every year to help with harvest.
At Quinter High School, I was part of seven state championship teams including football, track, quiz bowl, and parliamentary procedure. My senior year, I was elected by my peers to serve as FFA president and student council president.
At Kansas State University I served as Student Body President. I was honored that during my leadership the KSU Student Government was named the top student government in the country by the National Association for Campus Activities. During my time at K-State I also had the privilege of working in Washington serving in Congressman Jerry Moran’s office. I later graduated with a bachelors degree in Agricultural Economics.
Most importantly, at K-State I learned many valuable lessons in leadership and formed close friendships that are strong to this day. It was during this time I met my future wife, Audrey Haynes, who was then attending Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas.
After college I spent two years working in Washington, D.C. assisting members of the House of Representatives and the United State Senate to envision, plan and establish leadership conferences and programs throughout the United States for college student leaders. I taught leadership principles to students at national, regional, and state events throughout the country.
Audrey and I were married and were eager to move back to Kansas. Realizing that the family farm at the time could not support both me and my brother, I started a career in commercial real estate. I currently serve as Vice President and Director of Industrial Sales and Leasing for Zimmer Real Estate Services in Salina, I’ve represented and advised hundreds of businesses from multiple Fortune 500 companies to smaller start-up companies in Kansas that have been an integral part of the economic development in our state.
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