The Drake University Board of Trustees is pleased to welcome four new members to its ranks: Alan M. Byers, John Farmer, Ernest J. Newborn II, and Steve Sukup. Approved by the Board earlier this year, the incoming trustees officially began their initial three-year term of service on July 1, 2026.
“It is a privilege to welcome these four accomplished leaders to the Drake University Board of Trustees,” said Drake University President Marty Martin. “Their diverse expertise and deep insights will complement our existing trustees as we work to transform lives and strengthen communities.”
Meet the New Trustees
Alan M. Byers, FA’78
Alan Byers is following a proud family tradition as he begins his tenure on the Board of Trustees. His father, Donald C. Byers—who earned his juris doctor from Drake in 1951 and received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Drake in 1993—served as a member of the Drake Board of Trustees from 1983 to 2010, including a term as board chair from 1989 to 1992.
Byers currently serves as the senior advisor to the CEO at JBS USA, one of the world’s largest food production and meat processing companies. He brings nearly 50 years of agribusiness leadership experience to the Board, having previously served as president of JBS Beef, Meyer Natural Foods, Signature Meats (Conagra), and Dubuque Foods (Hormel).
A two-time captain of the Drake football team, Byers earned his bachelor’s degree in 1978 from the Drake College of Fine Arts (now part of the College of Arts and Sciences). He later earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In recognition of his athletic achievements, professional leadership, and dedicated philanthropy, Byers received Drake’s prestigious Double D Award in 2025.
Deep Drake roots run throughout the Byers family. His wife, Dawn, graduated from Drake in 1978 with a degree in business and public administration. Their daughter, Michelle Wimmer, earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Drake in 2006, and their son, Daniel, earned both a bachelor’s degree in marketing (2011) and a juris doctor (2013) from the University. The couple also has a son, Jeffrey. Al and Dawn currently reside in Fort Collins, Colo.
John Farmer, AS’92
John Farmer is joining the Board of Trustees in an ex-officio capacity as chair of the Drake National Alumni Board. Farmer graduated from Drake University in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in international relations before earning his juris doctor at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. For the past decade, he has served as vice president and assistant general counsel for Charter Communications, Inc, following a partnership at Thompson Coburn LLP in St. Louis.
While attending Drake, Farmer was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, played on the Drake football team, and served as a resident assistant in the Goodwin-Kirk Residence Hall. Farmer met his wife, Jill (JO ’91), while the two were giving campus tours for the Office of Admissions. Their two daughters, Peyton (Farmer) Reiter (CPHS ’19) and Jane (Farmer) Kasten (CBPA ’22), also married fellow Bulldogs—Mark Reiter (AS ’15) and Andrew Kasten (CBPA ‘22).
Outside of his legal practice, Farmer has served as a community mentor with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis. In his free time, he enjoys hot rods, waterskiing, modern art, and barbeque.
Ernest J. Newborn II, LA’79
Ernest Newborn II retired in 2025 from his role as senior vice president and general counsel at USI Insurance Services—one of the largest insurance brokerage and consulting firms globally—where he has dedicated more than 28 years of service. Highly committed to helping learners find pathways to opportunity, Newborn serves as the chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Strada Education Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on strengthening connections between education and opportunity in the U.S, particularly for those who face the greatest challenges. He previously served as the foundation’s chairman of the Board of Directors from January 2009 to January 2014 before stepping into his current leadership role in January 2025.
Newborn graduated from Drake in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from the College of Liberal Arts. He went on to the University of Michigan Law School, where he earned his juris doctor in 1983 and remains actively involved. Newborn is also a generous supporter and donor to the John Dee Bright College at Drake.
Newborn lives in Chappaqua, New York, and Chevy Chase, Maryland, with his wife of 36 years, Josie. They are the proud parents of two sons, Ernest III (32), who lives in Bethesda, Maryland, and Joseph (27), who resides in New York, New York.
Steve Sukup
Steve Sukup spent decades driving innovation as vice president and chief financial officer of Sukup Manufacturing Company, where he spearheaded the expansion of production capabilities and launched the company’s renowned grain bin product line. He assumed the role of president and CEO in February 2020, guiding the organization through a period of historic commercial growth, before transitioning to chairman of the board in late 2025 to oversee long-term corporate governance.
A native of Sheffield, Iowa, Sukup is a former politician, serving in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. He represented the 18th district and held the leadership position of speaker pro tem. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. Sukup and his wife, Vicki, have three children—Nick, Crystal, and Emily—and several grandchildren.
At Drake, Sukup serves on the National Advisory Council for The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement. He played an instrumental role in the planning and fundraising for the institute’s state-of-the-art, fully accessible facility—the Tom and Ruth Harkin Center—which opened in 2022.