DeAnna Thomas

Chief Communicator

​DeAnna is an energetic, hard-working, and organized individual who is passionate about telling the story of food, feed, and fuel to audiences of all ages. She is always excited and willing to use her unique skillset to make a positive impact in educating the general public, serving the Illinois agricultural community and future generations of both consumers and agriculturalists.
 
Agriculture education and communication involves two of the things that DeAnna most enjoys, interacting with people of all ages while educating and engaging them to support the family farmer. Through her remarkable educational opportunities and subsequent unique career experiences, her dedication to effectively relate the importance and impact of agriculture continues to grow.
 
DeAnna has dedicated the majority of her career to informing, educating and communicating the importance of food, feed and fuel to audiences of all ages on multiple platforms.
 
She brings an interest and academic emphasis in agriculture, as well as leadership experience from national agriculture organizations, including the NAFB, AAEA, NAMA, the National FFA Association and 4-H. She also brings a wealth of professional experience from her time as a national farm broadcaster and working as the marketing coordinator for LG Seeds, a national seed company.
 
DeAnna lives and farms in the Spring Lake bottoms in Manito, Illinois with her husband, Braden, a fourth-generation diversified grain and specialty crop farmer and the fifth generation of Thomas Family Farms, their two daughters, DeLaney (4) and Bridgette (3). Her hobbies include photography, showing horses with her daughters and snowmobiling as a family in the UP.