People
Byron
T. French Receives NACTA John Deere Teaching Award
Galle Appointed to
Kansas Board of Regents
Montana Brother Publishes Book
Kansas State
Alumnus, Kruse, Awarded Brigham Award
Ted Priebe Joins
Ag Technologies International
Two Delta
Alumni Named to Purdue Board of Trustees
Fischer Receives
SAAESD in Leadership Award
Rust Honored by
AMSA With International Award
Allan Johnson Named Director for Legislative and Public Affairs for Rural
Development
Two National Leaders Appointed
On the Move
Byron T. French Receives NACTA John Deere Teaching Award
Byron
T. French, a professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering with the
University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences,
Gainesville, Fla., received the John Deere Award from the North American
Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) at the organization's annual
conference June 20, 2003, in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
The NACTA John Deere Award, given to a single individual, includes $500 for
the recipient and another $500 for the institution. This award recognizes
the outstanding teacher and program in agricultural business, technology and
management for post-secondary schools and colleges.
French, who joined the UF faculty in 1982, teaches undergraduate and
graduate courses in Agricultural Operations Management. His extensive
educational efforts include training vocational agricultural teachers around
the state, working with Florida 4-H and other youth development programs,
and demonstrating technologies for sustainable agriculture. He has also
written, organized and presented the Florida FFA Agricultural Mechanics
Contest each year since coming to UF in 1982.
Dr. French was honorarily inducted into Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity at the
University of Florida in 1993 and has acted as a faculty adviser since then.
Galle Appointed to Kansas Board of Regents
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has announced her appointment of Nelson
Galle, Kansas State, to the Kansas Board of Regents. He will serve a
four-year term. Galle is a business consultant who has worked with seven
manufacturing companies in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. In 1986, he
led reduction of fixed and indirect costs by $35 million and 1,000 employees
in a nine-month period at Farmland Industries in Kansas City, MO. For ten
years, he has been involved with the KSU Foundation. Since 1982, he has been
a member of the Board of Trustees for the KSU Foundation.
The Kansas Board of Regents is a nine-member body, which governs six state
universities, and supervises and coordinates 19 community colleges, five
technical colleges, six technical schools and a municipal university.
Montana Brother Publishes Book
Brother
Donald R. Christenson, Montana State, co-authored a book titled Nutrients
for Sugar Beet Production: Soil-Plant Relationships. The co-author is Dr. A.
P. Draycott of Suffolk, England. It is published by CABI Publishing of
England. This book represents the only significant work in English on this
topic in the world, providing a review of their research and nearly 1000
references from the world literature. The book contains nearly 50 color
photos of nutrient deficiencies, many of which were taken from their files.
Dr. Christenson worked nearly 30 years in sugar beet research and this was
combined with over 30 years experience by Dr. Draycott to produce this book.
They express appreciation to the fertilizer industry, sugar beet processing
and seed companies, and many other cooperators who assisted with work in
their careers.
Kansas State Alumnus, Kruse, Awarded Brigham Award
Loren
Kruse has received the highest recognition award of the Agricultural
Communicators in Education (ACE).
Kruse, Editor in Chief of Successful Farming magazine, received the Reuben
Brigham Award on June 15, 2003, during the annual meeting of ACE in Kansas
City, Missouri. The award recognizes a non-member of ACE who has made a
major contribution in the field of agriculture on the national or
international level. ACE is an international association whose members are
closely affiliated with institutions of higher education. Kruse has been
editor-in-chief of Successful Farming, the founding magazine of Meredith
Corporation, for 14 years. A 26-year employee of Successful Farming, he is
also Editor-in-Chief of Living the Country Life ® magazine and
agriculture.com ™.
Ted Priebe Joins Ag Technologies International
Ted
Priebe has joined the board of advisors for Ag Technologies International
(ATI) with responsibilities as a lead strategist in expanding the e-Learning
company’s reach within the food and agribusiness space.
Priebe joins the ATI team following a decade at the helm of Meyocks & Priebe
Advertising, where he oversaw the company’s transformation into one of the
largest food and agriculture marketing companies in the nation. His addition
comes at a time of tremendous growth for ATI and general manager Rob
McClelland (Ohio State) says Priebe’s 30 years of communications and
marketing experience will be an asset as the company targets additional
growth.
Priebe says he was drawn to ATI because of the e-Learning company’s
recognition and early success in providing the tools necessary for companies
to thrive in a vertical food chain.
“The trend toward a unified food and ag chain is already a reality and with
that comes a tremendous amount of regulatory complexity,” says Priebe. “Ag
Technologies had the foresight to develop the processes and tools that
enable these companies to provide the adequate training and documentation
required in a vertical food market. I’m excited to help them get the word
out.”
Prior to joining Meyocks & Priebe, Priebe served as president of Miller
Meester Advertising in Minneapolis. During his tenure, Miller Meester was
the nation’s largest agribusiness communications agency. Priebe began his
career with Century Communications in Skokie, IL. He graduated from Purdue
University with a focus in agricultural marketing and communications.
Two
Delta Alumni Named to Purdue Board of Trustees
The Purdue University Board of Trustees re-elected W. Wayne Townsend, a
former state legislator and farmer from Hartford City, Indiana, as vice
chairman. Townsend joined the board in 1989 and was elected as an officer in
1993. Fellow AGR Brother Robert Peterson was appointed as a trustee by Gov.
Frank O’ Bannon to replace William Moreau Jr., who has served as a trustee
since 1991.
Townsend, a 1951 graduate from Purdue is a hog producer who farms 2,200
acres. He served in the Indiana House of Representatives in 1959-61 and
1963-66 and in the Indiana Senate from 1971-87. He was the Democrats’ 1984
nominee for governor.
Peterson, a farmer and senior partner in the law firm of Peterson & Waggoner
LLP., earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Purdue in 1952.
Another fellow AGR member, John W. Hardin, Jr., is a current member of the
board.
“Purdue’s Board of Trustees is composed of highly accomplished and dedicated
people,” said Purdue President Martin C. Jischke. “Their vision...has
positioned the university as one of America’s great centers of learning and
discovery, and they are making it possible for Purdue to reach new levels of
excellence.”
Fischer Receives SAAESD in Leadership Award
The
Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors is pleased
to announce that its first recipient of the Excellence in Leadership Award
is James R. Fischer, Clemson University.
Presenting the award at a recent association meeting, Dr. Charles J. Scifres,
Association Chair, noted that Dr. Fischer personifies the award's stated
purpose, which is "to recognize those who have served the Southern
experiment stations, the SAAESD and the national land-grant system with
exemplary distinction.... This person's leadership... shall have personified
the highest level of excellence by enhancing the cause and performance of
the SAAESD in achieving its mission, the vision for the Southern
Agricultural Experiment Stations and the land-grant ideal."
A complete press release concerning this award and Dr. Fischer's
accomplishments is available on the Association homepage at:
http://www.msstate.edu/org/saaesd/leadership-award2003.htm
Rust Honored by AMSA
With International Award
Robert E. Rust, professor emeritus of the Department of Animal Science at
Iowa State University, was the recipient of the 2003 American Meat Science
Association (AMSA) International Award.
Rust received his B.S. in 1951 from the University of Wisconsin – River
Falls and his M.S. in 1954 from Michigan State University. He served on the
faculty of MSU and then joined Iowa State University in 1959, retiring as
professor emeritus in 1994. He was initiated into Alpha Gamma Rho in 1965 at
Iowa State University. Rust is recognized worldwide as a leading expert in
the science and practice of meat processing. His one-on-one consultations or
one day to week long technical seminars have taken place in more than 30
countries.
The American Meat Science Association professional society was formally
incorporated in 1964. Its unique role is to provide the forum for all
interests in meat – commercial, academic, government and consumer – to come
together in a reasoned, scientifically-based atmosphere and address the
needs of the processing and marketing segments of industry, the consuming
public, its own members and others in biological and nutritional sciences.
Allan Johnson Named Director for Legislative and Public Affairs for Rural Development
Under
Secretary for USDA Rural Development Thomas C. Dorr announced the selection
of Allan R. Johnson as Director of Legislative and Public Affairs for USDA
Rural Development. Johnson will serve as the central point of contact for
legislative and public affairs for USDA Rural Development’s housing,
business and utility programs.
Johnson, of Camdenton, Mo., has spent the last three years as a
senior consultant for Achieva, Inc., an Indiana public affairs firm working
for a number of agribusiness firms and trade associations. Prior to his
current employment, Johnson was president and chief executive officer of
Farm Progress Companies from 1990 to 2000 where he grew the company from 8
to 37 publications in addition to overseeing 20 office locations, 225
employees and revenues of $40 million.
Johnson currently serves as trustee of the North Dakota State University
Development Foundation, The Farm Foundation and is a member of various
industry organizations, including the American Agricultural Editors
Association and National Association of Farm Broadcasters. He is the past
grand president of Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, past president of the
Agricultural Publishers Association, and former chairman of the National FFA
Sponsors’ Board.
Two National
Leaders Appointed
Two new national leaders were appointed during the 2003
Leadership Conference that was held in Kansas City, MO, August 22-23, 2003.
John
De Ruiter was named as a Trustee to the HRT Board. De Ruiter was initiated
into AGR in 1975 at Cal Poly State - SLO. He is currently Vice President and
Sr. Relationship Manager at the Bank of the West in Fresno, CA.
Charlie
Trauger was named as the new Leadership Seminar Coordinator. He was
initiated into Kappa Chapter in 1978 and the University of Nebraska. He is
currently Vice President of Business Development for Data Transmission
Network in Omaha, NE.
Lee
McCoy, Kansas State, recently got a new position as Regional Manager of
Southeast Ag Net. He was named 1999 Alabama broadcaster of the year and 1999
South Region NAFB Farm Broadcaster of the Year.
Michael
Elliott, Auburn, graduated from Regent University School of Law on May
10, 2003 and has accepted a job at the law firm of Andresen, Vann & Butler
in Charlotte, NC.
Quentin Stevick, North Dakota State, has sold
his entire Black and Red Angus herd to Brian and Don Lane of Claresholm, AB,
Canada. Nearly all the Black Angus cows trace back to the cow family that
produced the bull known world wide as QAS Traveler 23-4. The Black Angus cow
herd was started by Vern Stevick in 1946.
John Vollmer, North Carolina State, is president of the 300-member
Strawberry Growers Association of North Carolina. He owns and operates
Vollmer Farms, Bunn, N.C.
Christopher Bata, North Dakota State, is currently farming in the
Adams, ND area. He is building a new house on his family farm and also sells
crop insurance through Choice Financial in Grafton, ND.
Eric C. Schwab, New Hampshire, is working on his Ph.D. at the
University of Wisconsin - Madison. He was in New Hampshire from December
2002 until July 2003 working on a cooperative research project. Eric will
get married on January 10, 2004, to Michelle Rich.
Randall M. Tuttle, Truman State, has three children Madeline (10),
Cody (8) and Sydney (7). He and his wife Jackie keep busy with the kids
activities in sports, school programs and youth rodeos.
Brian J. Pfaff, Missouri, received a Fullbright Teacher Exchange for
the school year 2003-2004. He will exchange teaching positions with a
special education teacher in Scotland for one year.
Brenden R. McMullen, Purdue, graduated in May with a DVM from Cornell
College of Veterinary Medicine and moved with his wife Kelsey to Vermont,
where he is working for Granville Veterinary Service in Granville, New York
and providing large animal service in Vermont and New York.
Joseph E. Haines, Ohio State, retired in January 2003 from the Ohio
Department of Agriculture as Deputy Director.
Dale Posthumus, Michigan State, has spent his career, more than 27
years so far, in international ag trade and policy. He lived/worked eleven
years overseas in USSR/Russia and Switzerland. He is currently the
Foundation Director for the Grains Council.
Darby
Bauer, North Dakota State, has recently accepted a position as Marketing
Manager, Cattle Biologicals with Pfizer Inc. at the NYC Headquarters. In
July, 2003 he completed his MBA at the Krannert School of Management, Purdue
University. He currently works in New York City and resides in Stratford,
Connecticut, with his wife Michelle, 4-year-old son, Lucas, and one-year-old
daughter, Anna.
Grant
D. Beasley, Missouri, was recently promoted to Executive Sales
Specialist for Eli Lilly & Company. He also received the National Rookie of
the Year award for the Osteoporosis Business Unit of Eli Lilly & Company in
May. Beasley and his wife, Felicia Luter Beasley, reside in Wildwood,
Missouri, with their three daughters.
Brent McGowan, California - Davis, recently relocated to Fresno for
promotion to Area Manager position within United Agri-Products. Brother
McGowan lives with his wife Sally Ann and two-year-old son, Dylan.
Dick
Nash, Purdue, received the prestigious Master Farmer award, presented by
Indiana Prairie Farmer, at a ceremony August 13. Each recipient received a
souvenir Master Farmer pen, an engraved plaque and a certificate from Sen.
Richard Lugar.
Matthew Portillo, California - Davis, recently changed jobs and moved
to Brookings, South Dakota where he is an Assistant Professor of
Agricultural Education in the College of Education and Counseling at South
Dakota State University. In June, Matthew presented a workshop at the
National Agriculture In the Classroom Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jacob G. Rendleman, Southern Illinois, was elected president of the
Illinois Community College Trustees Association and is currently the
chairman of the Board of Trustees at John A. Logan Community College.
Phillip “Matt” Muller, Oklahoma State, and his wife, Kellie, operate
a diversified crop farm. They have four children, Taylor, Levi, Luke and
Lincoln. They are active with many groups including the Young Farmers and
Ranchers program.
Joseph Malone Jr., retired from the U.S. Department of Defense on
August 2, 2003, with more than thirty-five years of Federal Service.
Gene P. Weeks, Ohio State, retired from teaching in 1985 and farming
in 1998. He had a kidney transplant in 1998 and has not had any problems
yet! All three of his children graduated from Ohio State. He has been
married for 46 years and he and his wife have lived in Florida from November
through March for the past 15 years.
Richard C. Zoerb, Ohio State, and his wife travel extensively abroad
and in moterhome in the United States. They have four children and nine
grandchildren, ages 21 to less than a year. He has one granddaughter who is
a senior at the Air Force Academy.
Stan Schraufnagel, Wisconsin - River Falls, was named the 2003 CAFES
Outstanding Faculty at the annual awards banquet. Schraufnagel received his
B.S. from UW - Whitewater and earned his M.S. and Ph.D. is agricultural
economics from Iowa State. He began his teaching career at UW - River Falls
in 1983.
Clarence Boettcher, Wisconsin - River Falls, was the 2003 beef
industry honoree for the Wisconsin Livestock Breeders Association.
John Campbell, Middle Tennessee State, is an Area Farm Management
Specialist with the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service.
Serving a nine county area, he recently received the TAAA&S/Hicks Award of
Excellence from the Tennessee Association of Agricultural Agents and
Specialists in recognition of his work with farm families. John is currently
serving as Program Recognition Council Chair for the National Association of
County Agricultural Agents.
Michael Zienteck, Ohio State, and his wife Debbie celebrated their
25th wedding anniversary in August 2003. They have two daughters in college;
a senior at Bowling Green and a Freshman at Tennessee - Knoxville. For fun
Michael plays golf and runs 1/2 marathons.
Marcus Ashlock, Arkansas State, has accepted a graduate/teaching
assistantship with the Department of Agriculture Education, Communication,
and 4-H Youth Development at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. He is
pursuing a Ph.D. in Agriculture Education with an emphasis in Agriculture
Communication and Leadership Development. He will receive a Master of Arts
in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication from the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock this fall.
Jeff Easterday, Ohio State, joined four colleagues in forming a law
firm in November, 2002. The practice is in Dublin, Ohio and focuses on
agricultural law. He and his wife, Atta, recently built a new home.
Kenneth E. Anderson, Southern Illinois, was promoted to professor at
North Carolina State University in July, 2002. He was also the recipient of
the Poultry Science Association Extension Award, sponsored by Philbro Animal
Health at the PSA Annual Meeting.
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