Awards

Each year, NCFC honors two individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership and celebrates their substantial contributions to the farmer co-op community.

Farmer Cooperative Director of the Year

NCFC’s Director of the Year award recognizes the outstanding contributions made by a farmer board member to his or her cooperative. In recognition of this achievement, NCFC will make a contribution in the honoree’s name to the scholarship fund of the land-grant college or university of the winner’s choice.

We encourage you to nominate the director you believe deserves this honor. This award is not designed as lifetime achievement awards, but instead recognize the leadership, communications, and business judgment skills of the candidates in the last year, or recent years. The CEO, staff, or their fellow directors may nominate candidates.

The directors selected to receive this prestigious national award will be expected to:

  • Attend the 2023 NCFC Annual Meeting in February.
  • Participate in the 2023 Washington Conference, late June in Washington, D.C.
  • Represent NCFC and the farmer cooperative community in interviews and articles throughout the year, if called upon.

Each NCFC member cooperative may only nominate one director per award year. 

Judging

Entrants will be judged by a panel of highly respected leaders from the farmer co-op and cooperative education sectors, based on the five criteria below.

Being a Champion for Farmer Co-ops
  • Communicates the value of the co-op to producer members.
  • Builds relationships local community and business leaders.
  • Can discuss the importance of good public policy for farmer co-ops with key decision makers in state capitals and in Washington, D.C.
  • Is comfortable explaining the co-op difference to the
    public and members of the media.
Good Business Judgment
  • Has a good understanding of the financial commitments and decisions.
  • Assures the cooperative has a viable long-term strategy that maximizes value to members.
  • Has the ability to see the BIG picture.
  • Fosters relationships with others in the sector.
  • Safeguards confidential information.
Leader and Team Player
  • Displays leadership within the boardroom.
  • Projects a board/management team effort.
  • Actively engages as a board member.
  • Maintains a united board image outside the boardroom.
  • Acts as a sounding board for management ideas and proposals.
  • Represents all co-op members, not just the ones who elected him/her.
Good Communicator
  • Is articulate and objectively communicates nonconfidential information.
  • Conveys member concerns to management and the board.
  • Intercepts and corrects rumors.
Understanding of your Cooperative
  • Possesses organizational vision.
  • Has a thorough understanding of co-op’s mission, goals and objectives.

Notification

  • The person making the nomination will be notified in January, prior to the NCFC Annual Meeting.
  • The individual nominees will not be notified by NCFC, as some cooperatives do not inform their candidates of being nominated.
  • NCFC would like to keep the identity of the award winner secret until the announcement at the Annual Meeting.

Each nomination requires:

  1. Nominee Information
  2. 2 – 4 Page Nomination Narrative
  3. Photograph of the Nominee
  4. Submitter Information

Deadline: Friday, December 6, 2024

Please complete the form below to submit your  nomination for this year’s Director of the Year.

Robert B. Engel Farmer
Co-op Manager of the Year

The Robert B. Engel Farmer Cooperative Manager of the Year award was created to recognize outstanding achievement and commitment to cooperative principles by co-op managers across the country. In addition to being recognized at the NCFC Annual Meeting, a donation will be made by the NCFC Foundation to a charity chosen by the winner.

This award and its associated charitable donation are made possible through a generous donation by CoBank in honor of their former CEO (and the former chairman of NCFC) Bob Engel. Anyone who has worked with Bob over the years knows that this is a fitting way to recognize his commitment to both the co-op system and excellence in management.

Each NCFC member cooperative may submit one nominee per award year.

General managers of local co-op members of federated cooperatives, senior executive level and above at all non-federated or national co-ops. 

Judging

All entrants will be judged by a panel of highly respected leaders from the farmer co-op and cooperative education sectors.

Delivering solid financial results and benefits to farmer-owners
  • Embodies a commitment to returning value to the member-owners of the co-op.
  • Has a proven track record of success at meeting financial goals and returns.
  • Has the ability to see the big picture.
  • Plays an important role in executing the strategic direction of the co-op set by executives and the board.
Fosters a culture of excellence in their workforce
  • Creates a workplace atmosphere that helps direct reports achieve high performance and results.
  • Fosters an atmosphere that enables problems and opportunities to be identified and addressed by employees at various levels.
  • Has earned high performance marks from both supervisors and employees.
  • Regarded as a leader within the co-op.
Communicates effectively within and outside the co-op
  • Is articulate and objectively communicates information as appropriate within the business unit
  • Ensures consistent flow of pertinent information to line managers and others
  • Has the ability to communicate the co-op’s message with external audiences when appropriate.
Contributing to community partners
  • Demonstrates a commitment to the co-op’s efforts to be good corporate citizens and give back to the community.
Understanding the co-op model
  • Has a solid commitment to the co-op’s vision, mission and objectives throughout his or her work.
  • Recognizes and can articulate the uniqueness of the co-op model and its impact on the business.

Notification

  • The person making the nomination will be notified in January, prior to the NCFC Annual Meeting.
  • The individual nominees will not be notified by NCFC, as some cooperatives do not inform their candidates of being nominated.
  • NCFC would like to keep the identity of the award winners secret until the announcement at the Annual Meeting.

Each nomination requires:

  1. Nominee Information
  2. Nomination Narrative
    1. On no more than 4 double-spaced typewritten pages, provide examples of how your nominee has demonstrated his or her abilities in each of the four criteria shown below. Each nominee should have a separate narrative.
  3. Photograph of the Nominee
  4. Submitter Information

Deadline: Friday, December 6, 2024

Please complete the form below to submit your  nomination for this year’s Manager of the Year.

Past Winners

Farmer Co-op Director of the Year

2023 — Wally Knock, Agtegra Cooperative
2022 — Susan Trochetti, Landus Cooperative
2021 — Paul Percy, Agri-Mark, Inc.
2020 — Ronnie Mohr, Land O’Lakes, Inc.
2019 — Brad Davis, Ag Processing Inc
2018 — Kenneth Nixon, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative
2017 — Pete Kappelman, Land O’Lakes, Inc.
2016 — John Reifsteck, GROWMARK, Inc.
2015 — Hal Clemensen, South Dakota Wheat Growers
2014 — Randy Mooney, Dairy Farmers of America
2013 — Curt Eischens, CHS Inc.
2012 — Everett Dobrinski, CoBank
2011 — Jeff Lakner, South Dakota Wheat Growers
2010 — Fran Podvin, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
2009 — Tom Camerlo, Dairy Farmers of America
2008 — Eddie Smith, Plains Cotton Cooperative Association
2007 — More than 12 years: Roy Orton, CoBank/National Grape Cooperative
2007 — Less than 12 years: David Kragnes, American Crystal Sugar Company
2006 — More than 12 years: Pete Penner, Sun-Maid Growers of California
2006 — Less than 12 years: Alan Keudell, NORPAC
2005 — More than 12 years: Clyde Rutherford, Dairylea
2004 — More than 12 years: Howard Isom, Blue Diamond Growers
2004 — Less than 12 years: Mike Toelle, CHS Inc.
2003 — More than 12 years: Elroy Webster, CHS, Inc.
2003 — Less than 12 years: John Reifstack, Growmark
2002 — More than 12 years: Herman Brubaker, DFA
2002 — Less than 12 years: Paul Hill, Iowa Turkey Growers Cooperative
2001 — More than 12 years: John J. Gilbert, Diamond of California
2001 — Less than 12 years: Daniel T. Kelley, GROWMARK, Inc.
2000 — John D. Hardesty, Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers

Robert B. Engel Farmer Co-op Manager of the Year

2023 — Jay Bryant, Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers
2022 — Jim Spradlin, GROWMARK, Inc.
2021 — Keith Spackler, Ag Processing Inc
2020 — Tom Hauschel, Heartland Co-op
2019 — Chuck Adami, Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association
2018 — Dane Lance, Sunsweet Growers, Inc.
2017 — Dale Locken, South Dakota Wheat Growers (Agtegra Cooperatives)