Each year, The Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC) presents the Outstanding Achievement Award, established in 2005 to honour members who promote exceptional leadership and professionalism in CSAAC and seed testing. The first recipient was Marie Greeniaus, after whom the award was named in 2006. In honour of her friend, Janet Dornian sculpts a piece for the award winner, making each sculpture as unique as the individual winner. This year’s recipient of the prestigious Marie Greeniaus Award is Dianne Gilhuly._x000D_
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Gilhuly started in the seed industry in 1980 with Maple Leaf Mills, working in soybean and corn production and processing. Then in 1992 she became a founding partner of Kent Agri Lab in Tupperville, Ont., and a senior seed analyst in 1997._x000D_
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Gilhuly has been a mainstay on CSAAC’s Board of Directors, serving for a number of years on a variety of committees and in a number of positions. Her dedication to CSAAC’s success is demonstrated by her willingness to serve two consecutive terms as president and three as past-president._x000D_
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In addition to serving CSAAC, she has been a licensed field crop inspector for 13 years and a consultant in agriculture quality systems and food safety. Gilhuly has been an accredited auditor with the Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) since 1998, and she has been a member of the CSI Board for 10 years as the CSAAC representative. She has also served as their president and currently serves as their past-president._x000D_
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Gilhuly has always been a role model for all seed analysts and is always willing to share her knowledge with all. CSAAC along with the seed industry have all greatly benefitted her knowledge, expertise, wisdom and professionalism._x000D_
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Another deserving individual is Susan Putz, who was recognized as the 2015 CSAAC Honourary Member. Putz took the Biological Sciences Technology Program at SIAST in Saskatoon, Sask. From 1972 to 1973, she worked for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and later returned to CFIA in 1989. While away from the CFIA, Putz worked for the Soil Science Department at the University of Alberta and with the Geological Survey at the Alberta Research Council. In 1991, she attained her accreditation for seed purity and germination. At the CFIA, Putz was responsible for training future seed analysts, CFIA inspectors, seed graders and seed import conformity assessors. When she retired in 2013, Putz was the seed purity supervisor._x000D_
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Throughout the years, Putz trained and, more importantly, inspired many Canadian seed analysts. Putz’s attention to detail and willingness to share knowledge inspired many seed analysts to aspire to her level of knowledge. Her willingness to share her knowledge made it easier for trainees to quickly learn methods of identifying difficult seeds. Putz’s contribution to seed testing training is invaluable._x000D_
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The Marie Greeniaus Award and the Honourary Member Award are given every two years. Previous award winners can be found on the CSAAC website at www.seedanalysts.ca.
