Recognition

AgGateway Honors Leaders in Advancing Digital Solutions

By AgGateway Marketing Communications Director Susan Ruland

At the virtual annual conference last month, AgGateway honored exemplary individuals who have made outstanding contributions in advancing the industry’s transition to digital agriculture. These digital solutions help companies reduce errors and increase efficiency; achieve interoperability in hardware and software systems to turn data into value; and leverage global resources and business relationships needed to enhance productivity, traceability and sustainability.

Ann Vande Lune, Agronomy Administrator at Key Cooperative, received AgGateway’s Ron Storms Leadership Award, the organization's top honor. The award recognizes repeated, outstanding efforts by an AgGateway volunteer member in promoting collaboration among AgGateway teams and advancing initiatives in digital agriculture. In presenting the award, former Ron Storms recipient Eric Hoefing, also of Key Cooperative, said the judges praised Vande Lune’s dedication to the AgGateway mission and ability to involve others in the important work at hand.

“AgGateway teams need input from both the business and technical sides of the industry, and Ann brings a valuable business perspective to the table,” Hoefing said, adding that this year Vande Lune hasn’t been slowed down by the many challenges of 2020, providing leadership in seed and ag retail initiatives, and in general leadership at AgGateway.

AgGateway also presented its annual AgGateway in Action Awards at the conference. Recipients are chosen by the leadership within the three regions of the organization – North America, Europe and Latin America – and recognize individuals who have moved connectivity efforts forward in the current year. The 2020 winners include Scott Meredith of ACS in North America, Patricia Perez of Lexagri-Homologa in Europe, and Adriano Becker of CNH in Latin America.

In addition, President & CEO Wendy Smith gave the 2020 President’s Award to Scott Nieman, Expert Enterprise Architect at Land O’ Lakes. Smith said Nieman stands out this year for several reasons, particularly for his efforts on the Product Catalog Working Group and the Traceability Working Groups.

“Some of the work AgGateway is doing today is truly charting new territory, and Scott is helping us with that vision,” Smith said.

Congratulations to all of the recipients, and thank you for helping drive digital connectivity!