Taryn Edgin, a third-generation and 21-year John Deere employee will take the reins as president of the John Deere Foundation and director of community relations on Thursday, May 1.
In her new role, she will oversee the company’s global corporate social responsibility initiatives. That includes community giving, community relations, and employee volunteerism, a biography released by John Deere on Monday, April 28, said.
In the release, Ms. Edgin said she is looking forward to continuing to strengthen relationships within John Deere’s home communities by fostering connections with local elected officials, business leaders, and nonprofit organizations, as well as directing outreach programs that align with John Deere’s values and community engagement.
She will report to Mara Downing, vice president of global brand and communications for Moline-based John Deere. Ms. Downing said in a letter to community and nonprofit leaders announcing the change: “Taryn brings a wealth of experience from various roles at John Deere, most recently serving as the Global Director of Business Communications & Enterprise Content.”
Ms. Downing added “Her outstanding track record, maniacal focus on results, strong leadership capabilities, and unwavering commitment to community engagement make her exceptionally qualified for this role.”
The John Deere Foundation was led until December 2024 by Laura Eberlin, then manager of global corporate citizenship and vice president of the John Deere Foundation. Ms. Eberlin, who is now the director of business development for Tippie College of Business University of Iowa Center for Advancement, took over many of the top John Deere Foundation duties when previous longtime John Deere Foundation President Nate Clark left Deere & Co. Mr. Clark served a short stint as executive director of Farm Rescue, a nonprofit organization devoted to providing support to farm families who have experienced a major illness, injury or natural disaster.
Deere roots run deep
Ms. Edgin’s own deep Deere roots are spread across major functions and divisions of the global Fortune 100 company, including operations, business development, portfolio and product management, and most recently as the global director, business communications and enterprise content, her Deere bio said. There she spearheaded a communication strategy for 75,000 global employees.
She said her proudest moments with the company have always been linked to employee success and engagement, most notably when working alongside operations teams in John Deere’s Quad Cities factories.
Ms. Edgin is a native of the Quad Cities. A graduate of United Township High School in East Moline, she attended Black Hawk College and Western Illinois University, graduating with an undergraduate degree in business administration, and an MBA with concentrations in international business, finance, and supply management.
Her mother was an educator in the East Moline School District for more than 30 years, impacting the success of thousands of students across the community. Her father was a welder at John Deere for more than three decades. This foundation of community commitment, hard work, and dedication undoubtedly paved the way for her future with John Deere and as a leader in our community, the biography said.
Ms. Edgin and her husband Josh are proud to raise their four children in the Quad Cities community where they serve on the board of various nonprofit organizations and enjoy giving back as a family.
