Lafayette, Indiana, USA
February 21, 2012

ICIA and ISTA host another successful Corn Belt Seed Conference in Indianapolis. ICIA recognizes those honored with prestigious awards and also announces newly elected members to the Board of Directors.

ICIA and ISTA hosted over 200 attendees at the 2012 Corn Belt Seed Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, February 8-10. The conference addressed a multitude of subjects including a Communication Workshop featuring expert industry speakers related to website strategies, social media campaigns and brand marketing. Keynote speaker Keni Thomas, Army Ranger Involved in "Black Hawk Down" Mission got the audience energized and focused on the importance of their team – primed to absorb the valuable information shared throughout the remainder of the week.

The awards ceremony this year highlighted three individuals dedicated to the seed industry both in their own lives and through the knowledge they have shared with others over the years. The ICIA Crop and Soils award, the highest honor from the Association, was presented to Mike McKillip of AgVenture /McKillip Seed and Mark Wenning of NextGene Seed.

“McKillip Seed, and Mike especially have been strong supporters of ICIA over the years and have been active in attending regional and annual meetings,” shared ICIA CEO Alan Galbreth. Mike served on the ICIA Board of Directors 2000-2003, Executive Committee in 2001, on the Soybean Committee for 5 years, the Small Grain Committee for 7 years (4 of them as Chairman) and the Seed and Grain Committee for 5 years.

Mark Wenning served on the ICIA Board of Directors 2004-2008, Board President 2007, Executive Committee for 3 years, Nominating Committee for 3 years, Awards Committee for 5 years, Annual Conference Planning Committee for 5 years and Soybean Committee for 5 years. “Mark is an excellent example of a seedsman that knows the value in giving back to the industry that he’s a part of, we should all embody his generosity and dedication,” said Galbreth regarding the deserving recipient Mark Wenning.

Dr. Ellsworth Christmas, retired Professor of Agronomy and Extension, Soybean Specialist, Purdue University is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Christmas served 14 years as a member of the ICIA Soybean Committee; always helpful & involved and an important source of information on crop production questions. For 25 years; he represented Indiana Cooperative Extension Services on the State Soil Conservation Board and the USDA State Technical Committee and conducted extensive field research on production aspects of Soybeans, Canola, and small grains.

ICIA also thanked retiring Board members for their years of service, Jim Herr, Becks Hybrids, Mike Coomer, Brodbeck Seed, and Ben Kaehler, Dow AgroSciences and welcomed newly elected directors to the ICIA Board of Directors: Jeff Perry, Bayer Crop Science, Al Carlson, Dow AgroSciences, and Mitch Snyder, AgVenture/McKillip Seed.

ICIA is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization. We are an unbiased third party source for agriculture quality assurance. ICIA is also an USDA ASL accredited seed laboratory and ISO 9001-2008 certified. For over 100 years, we have built a strong foundation by providing a sound scientific approach to testing. From innovative genetics to the latest in molecular technology, we have an uncompromising commitment to method validation and statistical integrity.

Website: http://www.seedquest.com/yellowpages/americas/usa/i/indianacropimprovement/default.htm

Published: February 21, 2012