Dr. Russell Plaschka serves as president and CEO of the Kansas Cooperative Council. Through advocacy, education and public outreach, the council strives to ensure that all Kansans know and understand the cooperative business model.
Before joining the council, Plaschka served as marketing division director for the Kansas Department of Agriculture. He led a team that worked to grow agriculture in Kansas by collaborating with farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses. As director, he oversaw outreach to communities across the state, helping them navigate community-identified agricultural growth initiatives.
A lifelong Kansan, Plaschka grew up on a small, diversified farm in eastern Kansas and remains involved in the beef industry. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural education from Kansas State University, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Pittsburg State University and a doctorate in leadership communication from Kansas State University. His doctoral work focused on rural communities’ perceptions of agriculture and government involvement in rural community development.
Before joining the council and department, Plaschka spent 25 years as an agricultural educator and FFA adviser at the secondary level.