The U.S. Grains Council’s strength has always been rooted in its membership, according to USGC President and CEO Tom Sleight. This will be evident at the Council’s 54th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, July 28-30, 2014, where the Council is set to honor members for five, 10, 35 and 45 years of service.

“What I’ve seen in my time with the Council is the true impact it has on buyers of our commodities in the international marketplace,” said Richard Cortese, one of the Council delegates marking five years of service.

Cortese, who is the Texas Farm Bureau USGC delegate and serves on the Middle East/Africa Advisory Team, has high praise for the USGC staff: “The quality of people the Council has on the ground in foreign countries – people like Cary Sifferath, Tommy Hamamoto and Clover Chang – and the high opinion they have about U.S. grain is just outstanding in my opinion.”

Another five-year honoree, Syngenta’s Director of Industry Relations Rex Martin, cites his experience leading the Membership and Communications A-Team as a Council highlight.

“In my five years we’ve looked at membership structure, dues and member satisfaction,” Martin said. “It’s been a great opportunity to work closely with Council members and staff to make changes and serve USGC members better.”

The result, Martin says, is a more aggressive Council.

“In my experience, the Council adapts swiftly, and is able to look at new countries and new markets as the international scene evolves,” Martin said.

Allen Scarborough, manager of industry relations at Bayer CropScience, sees other benefits from his five years with the Council.

“It’s a very diverse group of people that produce some very valuable discussions, whether it’s one-on-one, in A-Team meetings or with the speakers at Council annual meetings,” Scarborough said. “One of the positives for me and for Bayer CropScience is gaining a lot of knowledge about trade from some very knowledgeable individuals. It’s important as we supply technology to the producer for us to understand the grain trade from both the production and the grain handling industry perspective.”