Bob Petersen to Retire, Succeeded by Erica Venancio, Helder Joins Firm
Photo by: Jim Barcus Photo
August 29, 2024 | Kansas City, MO
Bob Petersen, a long-time figure in regional and national agricultural circles, has announced his plans to retire. He will be succeeded at the firm he founded in 2004, Petersen Consulting Services (PCS), by Erica Venancio as the firm’s senior executive. New to the firm is Zachary Helder, who recently completed his MPA at Princeton University and brings a decade of experience in agriculture, public policy, and organizational management.
“I have been so fortunate to enjoy a 50-year career in agriculture working for and with some of the finest people, companies, and associations there are,” Petersen said. A Nebraska native, Petersen spent 20 years in Washington, DC at the helm of a national grain trade organization. In 2000, he and his family re-located to Kansas City where he held several prominent roles, including president of the Kansas City Board of Trade (2000-2004) and president of the American Royal (2010-2015).
Along the way, he began his own consulting firm specializing in the management of agricultural non-profit trade associations. “I am glad to leave our clients in such good hands,” Petersen said. Erica Venancio, the firm’s incoming principal, is no stranger to ag circles, either. She joined the firm, founded by her father, in 2008 and has become a very knowledgeable and capable leader. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University where she earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work. Venancio will assume the position of senior staff executive for the firm’s clients upon Petersen’s retirement, September 1.
Her leadership marks a new chapter for the firm, as she builds upon the strong foundation laid by Petersen. "I am excited to continue the excellent work of our firm and look forward to the future with optimism," said Venancio. "Working alongside Zach, I am confident in our ability to continue to meet our clients’ needs with an eye towards growth in the future. Bob has been an incredible mentor to me, personally and professionally, and I am deeply grateful for his guidance and support."
Zach Helder, who joins PCS effective September 1, 2024, will assume many of the outward-facing responsibilities Petersen previously held. Helder is from the Kansas City area with family roots in Nebraska and California farm country. He holds an undergraduate degree from UCLA and a graduate degree from Princeton University. Recently, he served as senior ag advisor to Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids. As part of Helder’s graduate work at Princeton he led a bipartisan working group of former USDA Secretaries and agribusiness leaders investigating the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine War on international trade and food security, and their findings were published in Foreign Affairs.