Bob Burton, Georgia, owner of Flowers Inc. Balloons hosted 2004 Ballooniversity in July. Ballooniversity is all about the balloon and gift product business, a five-day conference that since 1984 has offered industry professionals courses in business, style and other techniques as well as a chance to socialize with fellow business owners. Flowers Inc. Balloons is the world's largest supplier of balloons and matching gift products.

John Demerly, Purdue, is now the Assistant Director for Life Sciences Initiatives within the Office of Career and Technical Education. Demerly was previously the Executive Director of the Indiana FFA Association and advisor to the Indiana FFA State Convention. Demerly will remain active in determining and laying out a strategic plan for agricultural education within Indiana. His new duties will also include planning for Allied Health careers. John resides in Avon, Indiana with his wife, Laura, and three children Mitchell, Claire, and Luke.

Jack Givens, Oklahoma State, received the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association's 2004 Distinguished Alumni and International Alumni Award. The award is presented to alumni for professional achievement and community service. Jack was one of seven winners and was recognized at a public reception November 13, and during halftime of the OSU football game against Baylor.
    Jack is President of Givens Farms Inc. He was also the President of Laughlin-Simmons & Co. of Texas Inc., a company involved in oil well elevations and surveying. Givens served in the OSU Advanced ROTC program and in WWII. He has been awarded the Bronze Star and Three Purple Hearts. Jack is married to Helen Jane and they reside in Mangum, Oklahoma.

Richard Godke, Southern Illinois State, was appointed the County Agricultural Agent/Agriculture Department Director for Jacksonville, Florida on September 13th. Godke will be responsible for planning, developing, implementing, teaching and evaluating educational programs in general agriculture and natural resources and assisting with the 4-H/Youth Development Program. He will also oversee the Duval County Extension program and staff.
    Godke served as a teacher associate for the North Kansas City Schools since 2003. He spent 11 years in university extension and an additional 11 years in agricultural-based industries in a wide range of positions. Godke earned his master's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Godke began the position October 18.

Charles Iager, Maryland, and his brother Eugene, received the dairy industry's most prestigious award for Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder of the National Dairy Shrine in Madison, Wisconsin during the World Dairy Expo. Their farm was established in 1839 by Henry R. Iager and has been farmed continuously in the family. The registered Holstein herd begun in 1951, they milk 165 registered Holsteins. The family also farms more than 1,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, barley and hay. They also raise 20,000 turkeys annually.

Edward Mather, Iowa State, Deputy Director of the National Food Safety & Toxicology Center at Michigan State University. Along with other MSU colleagues, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, and USDA Secretary Ann Veneman are teaming together to formalize the creation of a National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD). An article announcing this and other key efforts being made by Mather and other Michigan State University staff, to help protect the integrity of our food supply was printed in the Fall 2004 MSU Alumni Magazine.

Tom Meyer, Southern Illinois, was awarded his fifth Merit Award by the Campbell Soup Company in September, which qualified him for the coveted Campbell Hall of Fame. Less than 1 percent of all Campbell employees earn a place in the Hall of Fame. Tom is married to Teresa and has three daughters, and is living in Columbia and is Territory Manager for Campbell Sales Company.

Mike Miron, Minnesota, received the University of Minnesota President's Student Leadership & Service Award on May 4th.

Wilbur C. Mull, Georgia, competed in the 16th annual International Auctioneer Championship in Madison, Wisconsin on July 16. Mull was matched up against 62 other male auctioneers from throughout the U.S. This is his fifth time in the competition. Auctioneers are judged on appearance, poise, body language, eye contact, clarity, speed and rhythm of their auction chant.
    Mull also met David Letterman at the Indianapolis 500 race by purchasing a ticket with a fellow auctioneer at the NAA fun Auction during the NAA Fun Conference and Show, they paid $2,200 for the tickets.

Jim Newsome, Florida, is now the president of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Jim was the Chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Andrew Otter, Pennsylvania State, owner of Above & Beyond Property Management, was chosen to represent Pennsylvania in Cosmopolitan's 50 hottest Bachelors in the November 2004 issue.
 

Greg and Neil Rejman, Cornell, co-owners of Sunnyside Farms were recently featured in Dairy Values, a publication by DeLavel Inc. Their dairy was recently named Venice View Dairy, a long-standing family dairy in Scipio Center, New York. They operate the 3,500-acre dairy that milks 2,600 cows three times a day, with their father Jack Rejman. Greg and Neil represent the third generation of this dairy's management.

Gene Starkey, Wisconsin-Madison, was recognized at Cal Poly State University among seven other honored alumni for the Distinguished Service Award. Gene was the recipient from the College of Agriculture. In 1978 Gene began serving as department head of Dairy Science at Cal Poly, until he retired in 1991. During his tenure at Cal Poly, he oversaw the creation of the Dairy Products Technology Center (DPTC) and the construction of two facilities, one for the DPTC and one for the Dairy Cattle Instruction Center. He also served as adviser for the Chi Chapter of AGR. He is the author of "Rich Heritage," a history of the Dairy Science Department at Cal Poly. He lives in San Luis Obispo.

Clifford Vrieze, Minnesota, received the Association for Career and Technical Education, Teacher of the Year. Vrieze is currently a Farm Management Instructor at Truman High School in Minnesota.
 

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