Dustin Shellito

After 13 years in law enforcement, I was ready to change my profession to a role without on-call duties in the middle of the night.

When I saw that Pioneer was hiring, I took a chance. Today, I’m the manager at Pioneer Nutrition. In this position, I manage the liquid supplement and limestone plants the company acquired in early 2024. This includes visiting both plants during the workday to ensure operations run smoothly. A big part of my job is overseeing ingredient ordering for the liquid plant. I also schedule and dispatch the liquid supplement trucks, calcium and limestone trucks, and salt deliveries. Between both plants, I oversee six employees.

My training happened mostly through hands-on learning. Before becoming manager, I worked in production at the liquid plant and later served as a supervisor. When Pioneer Nutrition became a separate entity, I was assigned the manager position I’m in now.

Looking ahead, I believe Pioneer Nutrition will keep growing. I’m excited to see how it evolves and I look forward to continuing learning.

I didn’t take any courses in high school that prepared me for my current job, but looking back, I wish I had taken a shop class. That may have given me a head start on some of the troubleshooting and mechanical work we do in the plants.

My advice for students as they navigate a future career is to be willing to learn from others and keep an open mind. Even if something has been completed a certain way for a while, it doesn’t mean it’s the best or most efficient method.