Gene Ross was raised on a family farm in central Nebraska where he was involved in both irrigated and dryland crop production and a cow-calf operation. He earned his degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Nebraska. Ross spent seven years with a major center pivot manufacturer working in various positions in engineering, sales and service. For the last 18 years, he has been with Nelson Irrigation Corporation - first as a district manager and currently as vice president for global mechanized irrigation. He currently lives in Fremont, Nebraska, and is a certified irrigation designer and licensed professional engineer.