CropLife America Elects Board Leadership and Honors Award Recipients

Source: CropLife America

During its recent Annual Meeting at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., CropLife America (CLA) announced annual election results.

“The CLA board of directors offers immeasurable leadership and guidance, and we thank them for their time and dedication to serving in this role,” said Jay Vroom, president and CEO of CLA. “The board holds a strong commitment to advancing modern agriculture, and this is reflected in our organizational activities and priorities.”

Vern Hawkins, president and North America regional director of Syngenta Crop Protection, continues his two-year term as CLA’s 45th chairman of the board. The officers of the board remain the same. Nevin McDougall, senior vice president of North America Crop Protection at BASF Corporation, will continue to serve as the board’s treasurer and vice chair. Also serving as vice chairs are Diane Allemang, executive vice president, North America for Cheminova, Inc.; and Dave Tretter, vice president of procurement at Crop Production Services, Inc. Eric Wintemute, president and CEO of AMVAC Chemical Corporation and former chairman of the board, will continue serving as immediate past chairman.

CLA also recognized exceptional member company employees, allies and staff with awards during the General Session and farewell gala dinner on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Award recipients were nominated by industry professionals and selected by CLA leadership.

Named for the association’s first and longest-serving president, the Lea S. Hitchner Service Award represents CLA’s greatest honor. The recipient of this year’s award is Mark Trostle of Crop Production Services, Inc. An active member of the CLA Strategic Oversight Council, Trostle serves as director of global registration and regulatory affairs with Crop Production Services, Inc. He previously spent decades holding various positions with the Texas Department of Agriculture. Trostle is also an active member with the Entomological Society of America and has served on their governing board, and he has coauthored a number of publications on pest control subjects.

Other awards announced at the 2014 Annual Meeting included:

Lifetime Achievement Award: Honors a member of the industry who has made major contributions over the years and will be honored in their retirement.

• Stan Howell, Dow AgroSciences

• Terry Stark, California Association of Pest Control Advisers

• Rick Tolman, National Corn Growers Association

Presidential Path to Leadership Award: Presented to those who have shown exemplary service as voluntary chairs of one or more CLA committees.

Roosevelt Award (Those who have served one full, aggregate term leading a committee or Issues Management Team):

• Elisha Modisett Kemp, State Affairs Committee, Dow AgroSciences

Lincoln Award (Those who have served two full, aggregate terms leading a committee or IMT.)

• Phil Brindle, Residue Experts Work Group, BASF Corporation

• Tilghman Hall, Endangered Species Issue Management Team, Bayer CropScience

• Scott Jackson, Spray Drift Issue Management Team, BASF Corporation     

Workhorse Award: Recognizing significant and progressive contributions that support the crop protection industry as serving a key role in the production of a safe, affordable and abundant food supply for U.S. consumers.

• Cindy Baker-Smith, AMVAC Chemical Corporation

• Karin Bentley, DuPont Crop Protection

• Carol Burns, Dow AgroSciences

• Jeff Case, CropLife America

• Pat Kwiatkowski, Bayer CropScience

• Kurt Lunchik, Bayer CropScience

• Steve Levine, Monsanto Company

• Nick Poletika, Dow AgroSciences

State Legislative Award: Honoring those who demonstrate outstanding leadership in the area of state legislative issues and who promote initiatives that preserve, protect and advance the ability of farmers to provide a safe, affordable and abundant food supply to America.

• Hawaii Senator Clarence Nishihara

• Wyoming Representative Mark Semlek

Urbanowski Grassroots Award: Presented to non-member individuals who work to promote crop protection within communities and through grassroots activities.

• Bob Anderson, Nebraska Agribusiness Association

• Alice Licht, Nebraska Agribusiness Association

Agriculture Ambassador Award: Honoring members of the media or allied organizations who have made a major contribution to the education of the public about crop protection and their contribution to a safe, affordable and abundant food supply.

• Lisa Kelley, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives

• John Larson, National Association of Conservation Districts

• Steve Taylor, Missouri Agribusiness Association

Chairman’s Award: Honoring individuals within the CropLife America staff for his or her exceptional service to member companies, the industry and the association.

• Dustin Bednarz, staff attorney

• Sarah Macedo, manager of new media content

• Mitzi Miller, administrative assistant and receptionist

“CLA is proud to honor these winners for their diligence, dedication and leadership in helping CLA reach key goals,” continued Vroom. “The continued contributions of members help make CLA the leading voice of modern agriculture and will continue to drive the industry forward to ensure American farmers and ranchers have the tools they need to sustainably grow food and fiber.”