Iowa Family Business Conference

Kevin Hancock is the Managing Owner and Chairman of Hancock Lumber, located in Maine. Kevin has worked at the company since 1991 and is part of the sixth generation of his family to help lead the organization. Kevin is a frequent visitor to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and an advocate of strengthening the voices of all individuals—within a company or a community—through listening, empowering, and shared leadership. He is a graduate of Lake Region High School and Bowdoin College. He lives in Maine with his wife, Alison, and together they have two adult children, Abby and Sydney.

Jane Blain Gilbertson is President, CEO, and second-generation leader of the 43 Blain’s Farm & Fleet stores throughout the Midwest and Blain Supply, Inc., headquartered in Janesville, Wisconsin. The family owned companies were founded in 1955 and currently employ 4,400 associates. When Jane returned to the family business in 1985, she became the children’s apparel and giftware buyer. After the passing of her father and uncle, Jane and her brother bought out the remaining family shareholders in 1998. Jane and her brother ran the business together for 16 years, until 2014, when he retired.

Anthony “Tony” Simmons is the retired President and CEO of McIlhenny Company, the makers of Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce. A member of the fifth generation, Tony is the great-great-grandson of founder Edmund McIlhenny. Tony lives at Avery Island, Louisiana with his wife of 48 years and his golden retriever Moose. He has two children and six grandchildren and is an avid sportsman and golfer.

In 2021, the University of Northern Iowa hosted the first-ever Family Business Conference, presented by BrownWinick Law Firm. Hosted at the EFCO family's headquarters in Des Moines, this one-day event was designed to connect, educate and provide helpful resources to Iowa family businesses. Craig Culver, of Culver's Restaurants, and Tom Hubler, of Hubler for Business Families, provided keynote addresses, amid breakout sessions by other Iowa family business leaders.