ARA Distinguished Service Award
The ARA Distinguished Service Award honors an individual member of the association who has gone above and beyond the traditional responsibility to support the ag retail industry and the association – making the industry better for all.
The individual chosen for this award is selected by the ARA Executive Committee from the submitted nominations. The designee may come from any of the membership categories in ARA: retail, distributor, or manufacturer of equipment, chemicals and fertilizer.
Nominations now open
Nominate candidates by completing the form below before the deadline. This service award will be presented at our annual conference this year. Applications close Friday, June 27.
2024 Honoree
ARA recognized Rod Wells, senior vice president, corporate strategy & logistics of GROWMARK, with the ARA Distinguished Service Award during the ARA Conference & Expo with more than 600 ag retail industry professionals
“Rod exemplifies dedication to both ARA and the ag retail community in extraordinary ways,” says ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock. “His remarkable 13 years on the ARA board, including serving as our first two-year chair, have significantly advanced our mission. Rod was also a founding board member of ResponsibleAg, helping shape its direction, and his ongoing personal contributions and engagement with ARAPAC further highlight his commitment to uniting and supporting our members and enhancing our advocacy efforts.”
Learn more about his contributions to the ag retail industry and read more in the news release.
Past Recipients
- 2023 - Toby Hlavinka, American Plant Food (news release)
- 2022 - Gary Vogen, Yara North America (news release)
- 2021 - Anne Yargus Sheehy and Meg Yargus Steward of AGI Fertilizer Systems (previously Yargus) (news release)
- 2020 - John Oster, Morral Companies (news release) Watch Video
- 2019 - Tim McArdle, Brandt Co. (news release)
- 2018 - Billy Willard and Bob Willard, Willard Agri-Service
- 2017 - Steve Nielsen, United Suppliers
- 2016 - Jamie Southard, The Equity
- 2015- J. Billy Pirkle, Crop Production Services
- 2014 - Paul Derig, J.R. Simplot
- 2013 - Rod Schroeder, WinField Solutions
- 2012 - Ken Manning, Wilbur-Ellis Company
- 2011 - Dan Weber, Ceres Solutions
- 2010 - Kim Bohlander, Dow Agrosciences
- 2009 - Dave Coppess, Heartland Ag Service
- 2008 - Tom Warner, Crop Production Services
- 2007 - John Hester, Nichols Agriservice
- 2006 - Pete Romano, Quincy Farm Chemical
- 2005 - Don Pottinger, AGCO Corporation
- 2004 - George Thornton, Agriliance & Neil Strong, Syngenta
- 2003 - Allen Summers, Asmark
- 2002 - Jim Thrift, BASF
- 2001 - Ray Train, Syngenta
