unless you remain aware of those changes, it's hard to keep up with what will work. I believe that just because you tried something once doesn't mean that it will never work. You should recognize that change is inevitable, and much of it is good. If change isn’t good, you should learn to deal with, manage and redirect it to accomplish a value rather than be a hindrance. What are two key behaviors/personality traits that allow you to be effective in your role? Curiosity. Cognitive dissonance is a mindset where you believe things that fit with what already exists. For example, someone who thinks similarly or supports research that supports what you already believe. It's challenging to recognize that things have matured to the point where there are more ways to look at them than what existed in the past. To me, it's the value of education, new knowledge and that 19-fold change in technical information. As a result, the willingness to incorporate new things that support a goal and get to the endpoint is better. What is the most important issue/challenge you are dealing with in your industry? Global marketplaces are both a godsend and an issue to manage. It isn't about greed; it's about the fact that in a capitalist society, you have to be positive that you’ll succeed. However, there are many factors. Can we work in a more environmentally sound manner? Can we negotiate and find ways to deal with new trade restrictions? How do we deal better with concerns like drought? How does technology affect those issues? They become part of how we figure out ways to move ahead, and there isn't just one right answer. The area I’ve emphasized in recent years has been food safety, an area where we have outbreaks, and we know that we need nutrition and fresh fruits and vegetables. They're more susceptible to having problems because we don’t have a process that controls organisms that affect their quality. As a result, how can we find out what causes those outbreaks, and how can we be better at stopping them? How do you feel your industry has changed/evolved? We emphasize education more than we did in the past. There are also opportunities with technology that relate to product development. For example, corn is corn, but it's also a starch and used in products in different ways compared to the past. Those are open avenues that allow us to act in a different way. What excites you the most about your industry? I've been around the world. Something that always strikes me is that in agricultural areas of the United States, the landscape beauty of the farm stands out. Things that are growing well are a hallmark of a good farmer or rancher. There's beauty to it that anybody who comes from a rural area like me finds comforting. It also observes the fact that some may say, "They should have left that alone." Sometimes, leaving the land alone isn't always the best way to conserve it. We need to recognize that value added to the environment in addition to concerns that we might have about more land being developed. Seventh Edition Marquis Who’s Who INSIGHT 15 INSIGHT MARQUIS WHO′S WHO SEVENTH EDITION FALL 2025
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