120 / SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2018 ONCE AGAIN, Kansas City wel- comed more than 750 seed indus- try professionals who gathered for the Western Seed Association’s (WSA) annual convention held Oct. 29 – Nov. 2 in conjunction with the American Seed Trade Association’s Farm & Lawn Seed Conference. While at this meeting, attendees are heavily focused on business and the trade of seed, but another important aspect of the meeting is taking the time to recog- nize students and young professionals. Each year, the association recognizes a young seedsman and names scholarship winners. The Young Seedsman Award spotlight early career individuals who demon- strate a willingness to help and work with others in the industry; enthusiasm for the industry and are involved in the associa- tion. This year, Bill Talley of Summit Seed Coating and WSA president, announced Doug Pickles as the 2018 WSA Young Seedsman. Pickles is the operations manager at Lewis Seed Co. in Shedd, Ore., and doubles as part of the sales team. His nomination letter, Monte Lewis, company president, writes: “Doug is young but always willing to learn and advance him- self. He is well received and respected in the grass seed industry. He is always pro- fessional in his actions and willingness to help others, even when he may not agree. “I am the president of Lewis Seed Co., and I have always been impressed with Doug’s willingness to take on whatever challenge management asks of him. I’ve seen him respond the same way to other fellow employees. But the most impres- sive action I see is his commitment to his family. He and his family would be a welcomed asset to any community.” Pickles hasn’t just excelled in the com- pany; he’s also serving at the state level as a board member of the Oregon Seed Association and a member of the Young Seedsmen Committee. Additionally, he’s been a member of the WSA and par- ticipated in association meetings for the better half of a decade. Fostering Education This year, WSA awarded 10 scholarships. Scholarship recipients for 2018 are: •Madeline Snyder, of Lanesboro, Minn., is a junior at Iowa State University study- ing ag business. Spotlight on WSA Convention A place where the seed industry connects, trades and recognizes early-career individuals. Julie Deering jdeering@issuesink.com New faces welcomed attendees at the Western Seed Association’s annual meeting; at the helm is the new executive director Tina Bowling (center). Doug Pickles won the 2018 WSA Young Seedsman award.