AgHires names Josh Hilbrands as Centerra Cooperative CEO

AgHires has completed a national search for Centerra Cooperative and placed Josh Hilbrands as the member-owned cooperative’s next chief executive officer, effective Sept. 1, 2026. The hire comes as Centerra prepares for the planned retirement of longtime CEO Jean Bratton.

Why it matters: - Centerra Cooperative is filling a top leadership role as it prepares for a transition after longtime President and CEO Jean Bratton’s planned retirement. - The new CEO will lead a member-owned agricultural cooperative serving farmers and customers across Ohio and Pennsylvania. - The appointment is meant to support Centerra’s next phase of growth while keeping focus on members, employees, customers and communities.

What happened: - AgHires completed a national agriculture executive search for Centerra Cooperative and placed Josh Hilbrands as chief executive officer. - Hilbrands will start Sept. 1, 2026. - Centerra selected AgHires to run the search after announcing the planned retirement of Bratton. - AgHires is a national agriculture executive search and recruiting firm based in Lambertville, Michigan.

The details: - Hilbrands brings more than 18 years of executive leadership experience in agricultural cooperatives. - His background includes operational leadership, strategic planning, financial stewardship, organizational development and team building. - Centerra serves North Central and Northeast Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and surrounding areas. - The cooperative provides agronomy, grain, feed, energy and retail products and services. - AgHires works across agriculture, agribusiness, food production and processing, agricultural cooperatives, horticulture, animal health, feed and nutrition, biotechnology and related industries in the U.S. and Canada. - The firm recruits CEOs, presidents, CFOs, COOs, vice presidents, executive directors and other senior leaders. - AgHires was founded in 2014.

Between the lines: - The search highlights how agriculture employers are using specialized recruiters to find executive leaders with direct cooperative experience. - Lori Culler, president and owner of AgHires, said the board approached the process with discipline and a clear vision for Centerra’s future. - Culler said strong executive candidates are often not actively applying for new roles, which makes targeted outreach a key part of the search process. - Karen Alsop, Centerra’s chief human resource officer, said the Board found the process organized, transparent and well guided.

What's next: - Hilbrands is set to take over leadership as Centerra moves into the post-Bratton era. - AgHires is likely to continue pursuing senior-level searches across agriculture and related sectors. - Centerra will look to Hilbrands to help guide operations, member service and organizational development in the years ahead.

The bottom line: - Centerra has a new CEO in place, and the hire signals continuity for a cooperative that is balancing leadership change with long-term growth goals. - More information is available at AgHires.com.