On June 27, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) hosted the ASTA Awards Reception for the first time at the Leadership Summit in Indianapolis, Ind.
This year, along with ASTA’s Distinguished Service and Lifetime Honorary Member Awards, ASTA gave out an additional six honors: five ASTA Heritage Awards and one Seed Science Foundation Excellence in Science Award.
The Heritage Award
The Heritage Award was created in 2022 to preserve and build history, as well as to honor and recognize individuals who have significantly impacted ASTA and the seed industry. Winners included:
- W. Atlee Burpee
- Dr. Harry Collins
- Dr. Owen Newlin
- Norman Borlaug
- Jerry Peterson
Nominations for 2023 are being accepted now.
Excellence in Science Award
The Seed Science Foundation’s Excellence in Science Award recognizes the outstanding achievement by a public or private researcher whose accomplishments have had an impact in the areas of breeding systems, seed quality, seed production and technology, seed health and pathology, digital agriculture or seed applied technology.
This year, Ron Walcott, professor of plant pathology in the college of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia, was the recipient. Walcott has helped the vegetable seed industry for over 20 years through his research — he focuses on diseases, primarily seed borne diseases, of commercially important vegetables. Particularly, he’s been an invaluable resource for bacterial fruit blotch of cucurbits.
Distinguished Service Award
ASTA honored Edward Podleckis of the USDA-APHIS with the ASTA Distinguished Service Award. Podleckis began his USDA career in 1988 as a research plant pathologist with USDA ARS, where he conducted research related to the detection of pome fruit and potato viruses and viroids of quarantine significances. Not only that, but Podleckis was active in helping the APHIS team with developing the Regulatory Framework for Seed Health (ReFReSH).
“I realized what a great gift that assignment has been for the last five years,” Podleckis says. “The work that I was doing was probably some of the most impactful work I did in my entire USDA career. I can’t say enough how much I’ve enjoyed working with the seed industry.”
Podleckis retired in April 2022 after 33 years of federal service.
Lifetime Honorary Member Awards
Like 2021, ASTA presented two Lifetime Honorary Member Awards at the 2022 Leadership Summit. Rick Turner of BASF and Richard Denhart of the Illinois Seed Trade Association both received a Lifetime Honorary Member Award.
Rick Turner has 45 years of experience in the agriculture industry — he’s worked in sales, marketing, product development and leadership roles in North American and Global businesses. Prior to his retirement in February 2022, he served as senior vice president of seeds and traits for BASF. He and his wife Lynda recently relocated back to Texas to be closer to family and their farm as well.
“One of the nice things about this industry is big companies and small companies find common interests in things that they need to accomplish together. That doesn’t happen in a lot of industries — this one is unique for it,” Turner says. “I’ve worked with a lot of you, and I have fond memories over the years. Thank you for helping me grow as an individual.”
Richard Denhart served as the executive secretary and treasurer for the Illinois Seed Trade Association and has been since 2002. He served as the first chair of the ASTA state government affairs working group and was the first state association representative to the ASTA board of directors. He’s worked in sales and was the chief inspector for Illinois Crop Improvement from 1969-1974.
“The first word I thought of was ‘surprise,'” says Denhart. “And the final word is thankful. Thank you to ASTA, the board of directors and the management staff and members.”
