ASTA Presents Distinguished Service Awards To Chet Boruff and Barb Glenn

Washington, DC (June 21, 2021) – The Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) CEO Chet Boruff said Monday it was a hallmark of his career to accept the Distinguished Service Award from the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA).

Boruff was presented with the award during ASTA’s Policy & Leadership Development Conference (PLDC) in Washington, DC.

ASTA Chair John Latham says the Distinguished Service Award is presented to individuals who work to support the seed industry. Recipients, including Boruff, make significant and outstanding contributions to the association and industry, Latham says.

“Chet has been a tireless advocate for the seed industry,” Latham says.

As Boruff reflects back on his career, he is reminded about how he has long seen companies within the seed industry doing things the right way.

Boruff says his perspective started by being a seed customer for 50 years since he rented his first farm while in high school.

“Over the years, I’ve taken for granted the consistency and the performance of the seed I buy,” Boruff says. “It just gets better and better every year. Every crop has the potential to be better than the last one. I think about that, and I know that’s no accident. It comes from the hard work, the pride, and the determination (ASTA) members put into producing every bag of seed that I’ve ever purchased, and I thank them for that.”

Boruff later spent seven years as deputy director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, when he was in charge of the state seed law and gained a different perspective from that experience.

“I learned then how committed seed producers are to following regulations and what a close job they do to making sure they’re doing things right,” Boruff explains.

Boruff worked with the biotech working group in Illinois, preparing for the introduction and rapid adoption of biotech traits as they come through seed.

“Once again, it gave me a perspective to knowing that the seed industry does their best to doing it right,” Boruff says.

Boruff has spent the past 17 years at AOSCA, gaining a similar perspective on a broader scale by interacting with seed companies across the United States and globally. AOSCA represents seed certifying agencies across the United States and seven other countries that are responsible for applying uniform standards to maintain varietal purity for over 60 major agricultural crops.

“I’ve seen their commitment to quality assurance, once again doing things right,” says Boruff, who started at AOSCA in October 2004.

In his remarks, Boruff also praised ASTA for its effort to serve as a town square for the American and global seed industry.

“Vendors bring their products to the square,” Boruff says. “The ASTA town square allows all us stakeholders a place to communicate, collaborate, and ultimately cooperate for the betterment of our industry.”

Barb Glenn receives ASTA's Distinguished Service Award

Washington, DC (June 22, 2021) - ASTA presented a Distinguished Service Award to Barb Glenn Tuesday during the Domestic Policy Session of its Policy & Leadership Development Conference in Washington, DC.

Glenn has been CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) since 2014. NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries and directors of the departments of agriculture in all fifty states and four U.S. territories.

Glenn attributed receiving the award to the hard work of all the people around her, including ASTA members.

ASTA has been impressed with Glenn's style of leadership. Miller has gained a true appreciation for a well-run organization working while partnering with NASDA.

"Her passion for agriculture is evident," Miller says. "She has taken NASDA to a new level during her tenure."

Glenn says NASDA's policy priorities mostly align with those of ASTA. Being a united voice is important, she says.

"It's really about all of us being at the table together," Glenn says.

She sees biotechnologies, gene editing, and tools such as CRISPR-Cas as part of creating a pathway to climate resiliency, adding that support for research and technology needs to be bolstered.

Lifetime Honorary Members

Washington, DC (June 23, 2021) - Tim Johnson of Illinois Foundation Seeds and John Schoenecker of HM.CLAUSE were recognized as ASTA Lifetime Honorary Members.

ASTA thanked them for their tireless service to the seed industry over the years.

The recognitions were made Wednesday during ASTA's annual meeting, which was held in Washington, DC in advance of Advocacy Day.

Both Johnson and Schoenecker say they are honored to receive the recognitions and thanked their companies for the support to be able to utilize opportunities to serve and benefit the seed industry.

Written by Chris Lusvardi, Seed Today editor

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