Prior to his appointment to the Idaho Wheat Commission, Wayne was actively involved in state and national grain organizational leadership for nearly two decades as president of the Idaho Grain Producers Association (IGPA) and National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), chairman of the National Wheat Foundation (NAWG-NFW), and the vice chair of the Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council.

 Wayne grew up in Declo in Cassia County on a multigenerational family farm.  He and his wife, Sherrie, own and operate a diversified row crop operation in the Declo/Albion area where they grow wheat, sugar beets, dry beans, and alfalfa on the same land Hurst’s grandparents cultivated nearly a century ago.

Wayne is actively involved in his church and both civically and culturally in his community.  He has played the trombone in the Magic Philharmonic Orchestra since 1984, playing alongside many family members over the years.  He studied music and agriculture, respectively, at Brigham Young University and Idaho State University and maintains fluency in Spanish.  Wayne and Sherrie have five children and 12 grandchildren.