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Spanier started in crop insurance as an adjuster and became a full-time claims and loss supervisor in 2000. His territory is the southern half of Minnesota (from I-94 south), and he supervises 13 claims adjusters for Heartland Crop Insurance in that area.

Part of his duties are to do any reviews, mandatory or random, in that area as well as other reviews.

The 13 companies in Minnesota that offer crop insurance all participate with the committee, with Spanier having attended meetings for the past 10 years or so. He served as committee secretary for three years before becoming president in January.

As president, he lines up speakers for the monthly committee meetings on topics of interest for the crop insurance audience. The committee discusses insurance topics like flood, drought, and revenue products to new topics like how crop insurance should be offered to nurseries and green`houses.

Anywhere from 10 to 50 people may attend a committee meeting, depending upon their interest in the topic, said Spanier, who was pictured on the cover of Crop Insurance Today in May as one of 18 state or regional committee presidents in the nation. Each committee makes recommendations to the national board about crop insurance policy.

"I guess what I enjoy about being on the committee," said Spanier, "is making things better for the farmer, putting a better product on the table."

Spanier, a 1986 PHS graduate, still farms 420 acres, and raises beef steers, near Lake Henry with his brother Randy and father Cyril. He said farming helps him stay in touch with the issues and prices and makes him a better crop adjuster.