Tom Buis is a former president of the American National Farmers Union (NFU) and served as CEO of Growth Energy until 2015. Before moving to NFU, Buis served as the Senior Agriculture Policy Advisor for Senate Majority Leader

Tom Daschle Thomas Andrew Daschle ( ; born December 9, 1947) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as a United States senator from South Dakota from 1987 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he became U.S. Senate Minority Leader in 1995 an ...

(D-S.D.).

Early life

Tom Buis grew up on the family farm with this brothers Mike and Jeff in Putnam and Morgan Counties, West Central Indiana. After completing his education, he became a full-time grain and livestock farmer in Indiana.

Public service

In 1987, Buis moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked as a legislative assistant and legislative director for U.S. Representative

Jim Jontz James Prather Jontz (December 18, 1951 – April 14, 2007) was an American politician who represented the Indiana's 5th congressional district, comprising rural north central Indiana, centering on Kokomo and Logansport. A Democrat, he served in ...

(D-Ind.), and as special assistant for agriculture to U.S. Senator

Birch Bayh Birch Evans Bayh Jr. (; January 22, 1928 – March 14, 2019) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as U.S. Senator from Indiana from 1963 to 1981. He was first elected to office in 1954, when he won election to the Indiana ...

(D-Ind.). He served for nearly five years as senior agricultural policy adviser to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D).

National Farmers Union

Buis began work with the National Farmers Union in 1998. He served as vice president of government relations and was elected president 2006 and again in 2008. He stepped down to become CEO of Growth Energy.

Growth Energy

Buis joined Growth Energy as CEO in March 2009 and served until July 2015. After stepping down as CEO, Buis went on to serve as Co-Chair of the Board. Growth Energy is an interest group representing the interests of the ethanol industry. Gen.

Wesley Clark Wesley Kanne Clark (born December 23, 1944) is a retired United States Army officer. He graduated as valedictorian of the class of 1966 at West Point and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford, where he obtained a degree ...

and

Jim Nussle James Allen Nussle (born June 27, 1960) is an American businessman and retired politician who has been president and chief executive officer of the Credit Union National Association since 2014. Nussle served as a Republican member of the United S ...

, former U.S. Congressman from Iowa and OMB Director in President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

's cabinet have also served as representatives for Growth Energy. In May 2009, Buis was selected as one of Washington's top 50 lobbyist by The Hill newspaper. Additionally, Buis' name appeared frequently on many lists of potential candidates to serve in President Obama's cabinet as

Secretary of Agriculture The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments. The department includes several organi ...

, despite being known primarily as a lobbyist. On September 19, 2016, Buis was presented with the America’s Fuel award for his work in promoting the ethanol industry.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buis, Tom Living people American lobbyists Year of birth missing (living people)