Board grants Vincent leave of absence, per his request
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Chris Decker, an 18-year employee at the Aurora Cooperative, was named this week as the company's new president and CEO. -
Chris Decker, shown here with his wife Sabrina, daughter Sawyer and son Hudson.
The Aurora Cooperative announced Friday that Chris Decker has been named as the new president and CEO, replacing Chris Vincent, who was granted a personal leave of absence in accordance with his request.
“We want to thank Chris Vincent for his 5 years of dedicated service as our CEO,” the board said in a statement issued Friday. “We are certain the tradition of excellence will be continued by Chris Decker in his new position. Chris Decker’s passion and leadership will provide a strong foundation for our employees and owners in the coming years.”
“The entire Aurora Cooperative organization is grateful for Chris Vincent’s commitment to the farmers-owners and employees during his tenure as CEO,” the statement continued.
The company is also pleased to congratulate one of its own as the new president and CEO. As a long-standing member of the organization’s management team, Decker has the experience and knowledge to transition into his new role.
“I’m honored and extremely humbled to accept this role of president and CEO,” Decker said. “I’m excited to work alongside the great employees we have inside the cooperative. We will continue to lean into the challenges together, be your trusted partner, and create opportunities that benefit our owners and their cooperative.”
Decker grew up in Franklin, Neb. His father worked at Upland Coop for 33 years and served as general manager for 10 years which instilled in him a love of cooperative systems. His mother’s side of the family ran the grocery store in Franklin, which gave him first-hand retail experience. He took his small-town agricultural roots into his college years where he attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Agriculture Science Degree. After graduating, he started his career at Dorchester Cooperative. In 2003, he was hired by Aurora Cooperative as an area business
manager working on the Highway 8 corridor on the Nebraska/Kansas border. During his 18 years at Aurora Cooperative, Decker has held many positions including crop protection and fertilizer product manager, VP of agronomy, VP of agronomy, energy and animal nutrition, and COO, a position he has held the past five years.
Decker and his wife, Sabrina, have been married for 17 years and live in Aurora with their two children, Hudson (12) and Sawyer (9). He and his family enjoy doing anything outdoors including hunting and jeeping down the river. He also enjoys attending his children’s many activities and being involved in community events.
