Brandon Barr, Kansas State, is now living in Lebo, Kansas. Brandon is an agriculture education instructor at the local high school. He recently received the Dodge Teacher Turn the Key award and will travel to New Orleans in December for his honor. Brandon became a member of the Alpha Zeta Chapter in 1996.

 

John Bonner, Iowa State, has been selected to serve as Executive Vice President (EVP) of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST). Bonner was first employed by the International Minerals and Chemical Corporation as a Marketing Planning Manager and an International Area Technical Manager.

For the past 15 years John has been employed by Land O’Lakes Purina Feed (LOL) LLC, first as Beef Production Manager and then as Beef Production and Marketing Manager. Most recently, he has served as LOL Training and Marketing Manager. He will be located in the CAST office in Ames, Iowa, after July 1, 2005.

John became a member of Eta Chapter in 1965. He received his Ph.D. from Iowa State University with a Nutrition Physiology major and Economics and Physiology minors.


Robert “Larry” Cunningham, III, Georgia, is the manager/operator of R.L. Cunningham & Sons in Quitman, Georgia. The operation was recognized by the National Peanut Buying Points Association (NPBPA) in 2003 as the National Peanut Buying Point of the year.

While running a successful business at home, Larry still finds time a few times a year to travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with Sanford Bishop, Alan Boyd, and other political leaders to discuss issues involving agriculture, particularly current and upcoming farm bills. Another example of Larry’s political involvement in agriculture can be found in ties with the Georgia Crop Improvement Association, as a former president. He also always finds a way to make it to the Southern Peanut Farmer’s Federation annual meeting each year. Larry is also one of the largest supporters of the Livestock Association for north Florida and south Georgia.

Larry is very involved with the collegiate Alpha Eta Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho and has been one of the key contributors to the fundraising efforts. Larry became a member of the Alpha Eta Chapter in 1976. Larry and his wife Sharon have two sons: Robert, who recently graduated from Georgia Tech, and Chris, who is an AGR at UGA. At home in Quitman, Larry serves as a member of the Brooks County School Board and is a Director on Colony Bank’s Director’s Board.

 

Robert Dailey, West Virginia, was recently honored with the Davis-Michael Professor and Animal and Veterinary Sciences Award in the Biosciences and Health Sciences category at West Virginia University. He also received the Benedum Research Award in Biosciences. Dailey completed his B.S. at WVU with a major in Animal Science. He also earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in endocrinology-reproductive physiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After his post doctorate work he was an instructor in the school of medicine at Emory University.

Dailey has been a member of the faculty in the division of animal and veterinary sciences and the reproductive physiology program at WVU since 1977. He has guided 30 graduate students and post-doctoral trainees through their research programs. Robert became a member of the Alpha Alpha Chapter in 1966.

 

John Paul Eddy, Minnesota, received the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Crown Forum Award at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, based on his past work from 1962 to 2005 on human rights. The award was presented to brother Eddy and a select group of others from around the world on March 30th.

John Paul is a George W. Bush, Sr. Library Research Scholar at the Texas A&M University, a Oxford University of England Round Table Scholar, a Burpee Scholar at the University of Minnesota, visiting professor at the University of Maryland and Emeritus Professor at the University of North Texas. Brother Eddy was also nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his years of resettlement of thousands of Vietnam War refugees and his years of human rights work for citizens of the United States of America while at Wesley Foundations at the Minnesota State University and Southern Illinois University while professor at Loyola University of Chicago and the University of North Texas. In 1970 he was co-founder of the International Association of Educators for World Peace, which is an NGO of the United Nations working to stop wars between groups and nations on earth. He was also honored at Tennessee University, in Nashville, graduation ceremony December 18, 2004.

John Paul is a contributing chapter author to two 2005 published books by the American Counseling Association entitled Terrorism, Trauma, and Tragedies: A Counselor’s Guide to Preparing and Responding 2nd Edition and Vistas Compelling Perspective on Counseling 2005. He is the senior co-author of the book Mending Broken Relationships, published in 2004. Brother Eddy has also served as co-presenter of two referred papers at the International Convention of the American Counseling Association in Atlanta, Georgia. He has also been invited to give talks in different states on various subjects. John Paul became a member of the Lambda Chapter in 1952.

 

Tim Fossa, Michigan State, has been named one of Eli Lily and Company’s Master Performers for Sales Management. The award is given to sales managers who have shown consistent excellence in sales accomplishments over their careers, while creating an environment for sharing knowledge, developing new ideas and risk taking. Additionally, Fossa was applauded for his leadership in developing people, setting direction for his team and modeling the integrity of Eli Lily and Company. Tim became a member of the Tau Chapter in 1980.

Chuck Howlett, Iowa State, has been promoted to Senior Vice President at U.S. Bank. He is a Commercial Middle Market Relationship Officer with U.S. Bank in Chicago, Illinois. Tim resides with his wife Mia and their three children in Bartlett, Illinois. Chuck became a member of the Eta Chapter in 1978.

James Irvin, Georgia, now serves on the Board of Governors for the state of Georgia. He was also elected to serve as State Court Judge of Stephens County, Georgia on January 1, 2005. James became a member of the Alpha Eta Chapter in 1970.

Matthew Kirkpatrick, Arkansas, placed first at the 2005 Beltwide Cotton Conference in the Ph.D. level student presentations. He lives in Starkville, Mississippi and is serving as a Deacon at the Calvary Baptist Church. Matthew became a member of the Alpha Iota Chapter in 1992.

Thomas Lilja, & Randy Martinson, North Dakota State, work for Progressive Ag of Fargo, North Dakota. The firm was named the top marketing firm in the country for the third straight year in what’s known as the AgMas Marketing Study. AgMas is a U.S. Department of Agriculture-sponsored program that studies the ability of marketing firms across the nation.

Tom Lilja is a Market Specialist and an Affiliated Agent in crop insurance and has been with Progressive Ag for three years. Tom assists farmers in their decision making process for crop insurance and hedging. Tom became a member of the Epsilon Chapter in 1989; he also serves as the alumni president for the chapter.

Randy Martinson has been with Progressive Ag for 11 years, the past three as Manager of the Marketing Division. In this role Randy oversees the analysts and specialists through hedging recommendations. He also contributes to Progressive Ag as both an analyst and an affiliated agent of the crop insurance division. Randy has made a name for himself regionally through live radio comments, marketing clubs and leading educational seminars for grains and livestock. Randy became a member of the Epsilon Chapter in 1997.


Ken Root, Oklahoma State, received the Etta Blanche Dahlgren Award for Individual Support at the National Agriculture Center and Hall of Fame annual meeting.

In January Root joined the WHO Radio Farm Broadcast team in Des Moines, Iowa. Ken is a part of the “Big Show” which airs on the Iowa Farm Radio Network from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. The Iowa Farm Radio Network includes stations in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Fort Dodge, and Burlington. Ken became a member of the Pi Chapter in 1968. Ken serves as the SICKLE & SHEAF editor, and is one of the fraternity’s Brothers of the Century.

Steven Stice, Illinois, has directed a team that cloned the first cow, cloned from cells of a dead cow, to have a calf at the University of Georgia. The calf was born in December weighing 72 pounds.

Stice is a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar at the University of Georgia and is a co-founder of five biotechnology companies. He was named one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians in 2002 and a top 40 entrepreneur under 40 in 2000 by Georgia Trend magazine. He produced the first cloned rabbit in 1987 and the first cloned transgenic calves in 1998. This research led to publications in Science and Nature journals, national news coverage (CBS, NBC, ABC and CNN) and the first US patents on cloning animals and cattle embryonic stem cells. Steve became a member if the Alpha Chapter in 1980. He received the Grand President’s Award in 2000.

Hubert “Hugh” Wetzel, Illinois, retired State 4-H Staff member, was nominated and selected for the 4-H Hall of Fame. He will be inducted in a special ceremony in Washington D.C. on October 3, 2005. Wetzel is the fifth Illinois inductee.

Wetzel served three years in the Army Air Corps. As a navigator he was based in France with the 439th Troop Carrier Squadron in Chateaudun. Graduating in 1948, he entered the Cooperative Extension Service - first in Whiteside County, Illinois for three years and on the state 4-H staff for 32 years. As Chairman of the 4-H International Programs he guided a learning, living, and sharing experience for hundreds of 16-25 year old young people abroad. Both outbound and inbound exchanges lived with several families for two to six months, which was a great cultural experience for the exchanges, host families, and entire communities.

Hugh became a member of the Alpha Chapter in 1943. Living in the university community enabled Hugh to keep in close contact with Alpha Chapter where he served 17 years on the board and as secretary and president.


John Weubbe, California-Davis, is the Senior Vice President of the new Food and Agribusinees Regional Commercial Banking Office for Wells Fargo & Company. The office is located in Chicago and will provide financial services to companies competing in the food and fiber sectors throughout the midwest and northeast.

Weubbe began his career with Wells Fargo in 2004. He served for nearly 20 years with Bank of America, and recently as Senior Vice President and Senior Client Manager. Weubbe graduated with a B.S. degree in Agriculture Economics at the university of California-Davis and a MBA in Finance from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. John became a member of the Phi Chapter in 1981.

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