Current Chapter Leadership
President and Midwest Director: Bruce Arentson
President-Elect: Aaron Park 
Past President: Randy Walker 
Secretary-Treasurer: Wendy Flatt 
Directors: Phil Krueger, Chris Hostetler, Don Martell, Judy Reynolds, Chad Risley, Joe Wolf, Jim Edwards, and Rick Bonander

The Midwest Chapter of ARPAS, which was started in 2011, had approximately 160 members as of March 2016. The chapter continues to be active in building and supporting ARPAS membership through the University and Industry Relations Committees as well as through targeted sponsorships and ARPAS presentations. 

In June, Midwest ARPAS participated in the 4-State Nutrition Conference. Rick Bonander, James Coomer, and Randy Shaver staffed a booth provided by the conference organizing committee and administered an exam.
In September, the Midwest Chapter and the ARPAS Foundation sponsored the graduate student poster competition at the Minnesota Nutrition Conference. Eight graduate students from 2 states participated in the contest; 4 of them took the ARPAS exam. Randy Walker participated as 1 of the judges. Walker and Rick Bonander presented the awards to the winners. Placing first was Divek Nair; second, Michaela Trudeau; and third, Haley Larson. Each were presented with a cash award. ARPAS also sponsored an award to the highest placing graduate student who was an ARPAS member or who became an ARPAS member. Michaela Trudeau was the recipient of the award. Many ARPAS members expressed their appreciation for sponsoring the event and elevating the importance of ARPAS within this platform. Thanks to Randy Walker for coordinating the ARPAS activities at the Minnesota Nutrition Conference. 
The Midwest ARPAS Board is now planning activities for the meeting of ASAS Midwest Section–ADSA Midwest Branch in Omaha, Nebraska, March 13–15, 2017. ARPAS will be a sponsor for the meetings. Prior to the meeting, we will emphasize recruiting candidates from universities and industry to take the ARPAS exam at the meeting in Omaha. Also, we will have ARPAS members staff a booth at the meeting. 

This past summer, Aaron Park led the development of a survey of ARPAS members to gauge interest in a professional development symposium. We were pleased with the number of responses from the membership and the interest in participating in a symposium. Thus, the Midwest ARPAS Board is in the process of organizing a professional development symposium for fall 2017, which will likely be held in conjunction with an existing event, such as the Minnesota Nutrition Conference.