MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S. — The Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) announced on Jan. 28 that three members from three different countries have earned their Credential in Grain Processing (CGPM) Management from the GEAPS/Kansas State University (KSU) Distance Education Program.
Cory Woywada, MCGOM, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd, Glossop, Manitoba, Canada; Arianne Flot, CHS Inc., Belle Chasse, Louisiana, U.S.; and Demetris Yiasoumis, Cyprus Grain Commission, Nicosia, Cyprus, each obtained the credential by completing an organized series of six peer-reviewed, online education courses developed by GEAPS and KSU.
“To be one of the first people to earn the processing credential is rewarding both personally and professionally,” said Flot, a control room supervisor for the lower Mississippi River export terminal owned by CHS. “The knowledge I cultivated by earning the CGPM shows I am a progressive employee and speaks volumes to my dedication to the organization and the need to further empower myself.”
For Woywada, an operations manager, the courses helped him understand another aspect of his company’s business.
“Parrish & Heimbecker has been in the milling business since 1964,” Woywada said. “Earning this credential gave me a better understanding of the whole milling process, including where our grain is going and what it is going through to make flour.”
Yiasoumis, head of the Quality and Inspection Department, took the courses to gain a better understanding of how to meet the needs of his customers.
“Wheat flour millers are one of our major clients,” Yiasoumis said. “By taking GEAPS 600: Overview of Milling Principles, GEAPS 620: Grain Receiving and Conditioning and GEAPS 630: Quality Control, Quality Assurance Practices in Flour Milling, it helped me to better understand the needs of our customers in the wheat milling industry and to upgrade our cooperation for mutual benefit.”
To retain the credential, graduates must complete at least one additional continuing education unit every three years. The goal is to keep industry professionals up to speed with innovations and changing standards, and to encourage lifelong learning.
Courses required for the Credential in Grain Processing management:
• GEAPS 520: Grain Quality Management
• GEAPS 540: Entry Level Safety
• GEAPS 550: Materials Handling I
• GEAPS 600: Overview of Milling Operations
• GEAPS 620: Grain Receiving, Cleaning and Conditioning
• GEAPS 630: Quality Control, Quality Assurance Practices in Flour Milling
In addition to the CGPM, GEAPS and KSU offer a Credential in Grain Operations Management, Specialist Credentials in grain quality management, property and casualty risk management and grain handling equipment management and a Master Credential in Grain Operations Management. In all, 49 grain industry professionals have earned 91 credentials through the program.
Visit the GEAPS website to learn more about the GEAPS/K-State Distance Education Program, the Credentialing Program and to view a schedule of upcoming courses.
