The Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) is pleased to announce that Dr. Sarah Adams Wilbanks has been selected to serve as the Association’s Chief Executive Officer, effective December 1, 2021. She will replace Chet Boruff who will retire on December 31, 2021, having served as CEO since 2004. Wilbanks and Boruff will work closely in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition for the Association and its members.
Dr. Wilbanks currently serves as Assistant Director of the Department of Fertilizer Regulatory and Certification Services at Clemson University. Clemson University is the designated seed certifying agency in South Carolina and Wilbanks has served as its representative to AOSCA since 2014.
According to Andrew Altishin, current president of the AOSCA board of directors and manager of Oregon’s Seed Certification Service, “Sarah is uniquely qualified to serve as our next CEO and build upon the solid foundation that Chet has built for AOSCA during his 17 years with our Association.” The Board of Directors engaged a professional recruiter for the search that led to selecting Wilbanks. “We were very pleased that a large number of well-qualified candidates expressed an interest in becoming AOSCA’s next CEO,” says Altishin. “That was a strong indication to us that professionals from throughout the seed industry recognize the importance of seed certification and the services provided by AOSCA”.
AOSCA was formed in 1919 to bring uniformity to seed certification standards and practices across North America. The purpose of seed certification is to ensure that seed customers receive pure, high-quality varieties of the seed they purchase. AOSCA is a global organization with member agencies across the US and in other countries, including Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. In addition to certifying seed for varietal purity, AOSCA member agencies offer a wide variety of services to the seed and agricultural industries.
For more information about AOSCA and its services, visit its website at www.aosca.org or call its office, located in Moline, Illinois, at 309-736-0120.
