Dr. Alan Foutz was born and raised on the eastern plains of Colorado in Akron. He graduated from Akron High School, received a B.S. and M.S. in agronomy from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in agronomy and plant genetics from the University of Arizona.

Dr. Foutz taught in the crop science department at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo for nine years. He retired as an associate professor of crop science. In 1982 Foutz returned to the family farm. Today he farms about 2,500 acres of wheat, no-till sunflowers and millet using continuous farming systems.

Foutz has served on the Colorado Farm Bureau Board of Directors and the Colorado Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Board of Directors since 1986. He was elected President of Colorado Farm Bureau and Colorado Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company in December 2000. Dr. Foutz served on the Board of Directors for Western Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co. from 1992-95 and on the FBL Board of Directors from 1996-1998. He now serves on the Board of Directors for FBL, Inc., Farm Bureau Life, Farm Bureau Insurance, American Farm Bureau Insurances Services and the Farm Bureau Bank. He served as a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation Wheat Advisory Committee and on the National Sunflower Board of Directors. Other boards include the Colorado State University Associate Vice Provost of Agriculture's advisory board and the Mountain States Legal Foundation Board of Directors.