Mary Nelson

Perhaps no other person in the Kemin Industries family epitomizes the “Kemin cares” core value more than Mary Nelson, who co-founded the now global manufacturing company with her husband, R.W., in a vacant wool barn on Des Moines’ east side in 1961.

Mary has “done it all” at Kemin. Since 1975, she has supervised administrative staff; managed customer service, printing and human resources; acted as a liaison with attorneys on legal matters; managed the Kemin trademark portfolio; served on the board of directors for Kemin and its affiliated family of companies; participated in strategic planning, budgeting, special projects and administrative decisions for U.S. and global companies; and assisted in the presentation of training programs for sales personnel worldwide.

With such a range of duties relating to the company’s overall health and wellbeing, Mary lovingly refers to Kemin as her and R.W.’s “sixth child.” The company is also an embodiment of the values the Nelsons instilled in their children, including a moral responsibility for corporate citizenship.

As a member of the Kemin Charitable Contributions Committee, much of Mary’s energy is spent guiding the company’s corporate philanthropic giving. She is devoted to creating a culture that reaches out to the disadvantaged and those in distress, both locally and globally.

Mary graduated with honors from Iowa State College (now Iowa State University) in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science in home economics education. Before joining her husband in the fledgling family business—which was called Chemical Industries Inc. for its first seven years—she taught high school home economics for a year and was a social worker for three years, working closely with about 70 families in the Des Moines area who received Aid to Dependent Children assistance.