Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76SEPTEMBER 2016 SEEDWORLD.COM / 9 ment efforts for products that are within a couple of years from launch,” he explains. “I cover the BASF seed treatment portfolio including seed treatment active ingredients, inoculants, biologicals, colorants and polymers. I also have responsibilities for some in- furrow technologies, and I support foliar fungicides on peanuts and cotton.” A Great Choice Considering Clark’s age and accomplishments to date, it’s probably no surprise to his peers that he was recently awarded the 2016 Future Giant of the Seed Industry Award at the 133rd annual convention of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). This award recognizes an early-career individual who demonstrates the ability to make a significant impact on the seed industry. Nominations are judged by Seed World’s editorial board and based on leadership, indus- try involvement and success in their area of specialty. Bill Romp, who works with Clark at BASF on the U.S. Crop Protection team, calls his colleague very deserving of this award. “I’m very pleased Justin was chosen. We have been working with seed solutions for a number of years and I met him through his work on the technical team at Becker Underwood. Justin is a hard-working person with an eye toward developing solutions to improve yields by working with seed enhancements,” Romp says. “It takes several qualities — which he is able to combine — like listening to growers, seed company representatives, universities, our field team at BASF, as well as an imagination of how to focus this input on an idea or solution to advance an idea forward.” Gary Fellows, manager, Plant Health and Seed Treatment at BASF, echoes this sentiment. “I’m really pleased that Justin received this award, as it signifies his impact and influence in the indus- try, as well as the potential for continued growth and new contributions. He has worked directly for me in the technical marketing group since the acquisition of Becker by BASF and has been the technical seed treatment go-to person for all departments for the past several years,” Fellows says. “Justin has been instrumental in helping develop and provide hands-on training with our new products to both internal and external customers.” Fellows says that in addition to Clark’s technical background, education and his practical knowledge — which has made him an invaluable resource to the industry — he has an innate ability to transfer this knowledge to a range of audiences, from technical/aca- demic ones to very specialized grower audiences. “This ability to speak to different audiences and transfer the knowledge is a valuable skill. On the more applied side, Justin has the ability to troubleshoot seed treatment equipment and figure out any problems in application methods and systems. This knowledge and experience to cover both the high view and the practi- cal applied side of the seed treatment industry contin- ues to bring value to the seed industry.” When asked his own thoughts on receiving the award, Clark called it both very humbling and a huge honor. “I’m thankful for the nomination and kind words from coworkers,” he says. “There are many highly respected individuals that have previously won this award and I am thrilled to be included in this group.” Clark also attributes his success to the people he works with on a daily basis and hopes that his winning this award signifies that he is doing a good job within the industry by acting as a leader within the seed treat- ment market segment. “I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of some very successful teams and organizations, thus far, in my career,” he says. “I’ve always tried to take advice and pointers from my mentors within Becker Underwood/ BASF and across the seed industry. I’m truly thankful for the nomination and award.” What’s Next? With a master’s degree already under his proverbial tool belt, Clark decided to take his education even further and is currently pursuing his doctorate in plant and soil science from Texas Tech University. GIANT STATS Name: Justin Clark Age: 34 Education: Master’s degree in entomology and plant pathology, University of Tennessee. Employer: BASF Previously at: Becker Underwood Mantra: “Do what you love.” Mission: Helping growers solve on-the-ground problems “I think we’re at a very critical time in advocating and educating the general public about what we do and why. So many people who enjoy a bounty of food on a daily basis do not fully understand agriculture and how their food gets to their plate.” — Justin Clark