“When you ask ‘who are the leaders who made the U.S. Grains Council what it is,’ the first person you think of is Owen Newlin,” said USGC President and CEO Tom Sleight.
“In ways both subtle and obvious, Owen has made us what we are today, and in the process, he’s benefited U.S. growers, U.S. agribusiness and millions of people internationally who rely on our grain exports.”
For generation of growers, Newlin’s best-known contribution may be the Pioneer Fellowship program, which exposed up-and-coming grower leaders to the challenges and potential of international markets.
Julius Schaaf, USGC chairman, points to his Pioneer mission to Asia as a turning point in his career.
“It showed me the potential in Asia for economic development, business development and growing the middle class,” Schaaf remembers. “It really got my attention. This was something I wanted to get to work on and have an impact.”
Beginning in the early 1980s, the Pioneer missions ran for some 20 years. “It’s hard to think of a key grower leader at the Council who didn’t benefit from participating,” Sleight said. “And as important as Pioneer’s funding was, Owen’s personal involvement with the missions was equally important.
“He set an example for critical thinking and detailed analysis that continues to guide all of us, not just at the Council but everywhere mission participants are acting as leaders.”
More recently, Newlin has contributed his influence and funding to develop the I-CAL program, which targets young adult leadership development.
Newlin’s contributions range far beyond leadership development. He was ahead of many in recognizing that the Council could be strengthened by evolving from a purely agribusiness organization to a partnership of agribusiness, producers, end-users and the U.S. government.
That led Newlin to organize industry support for the checkoff movement, creating a revolving fund producers could tap into for checkoff referendum campaigns.
“It’s not chance that the first two state corn checkoffs were established in 1979 when Owen was USGC chairman,” Sleight said.
Newlin followed that effort with work to expand seed company participation in the Council and to establish the Agribusiness Coalition to lobby Congress for continued funding of the Foreign Market Development program.
Throughout his 40 years of leadership, Newlin has also continued his participation in USGC committee decision-making, where he has consistently pushed the Council’s rigorous approach to market development, according to Sleight.
Newlin will be the subject of a special evening and video tribute at the Council’s upcoming 11th International Marketing Conference & 54th Annual Membership Meeting, Feb. 10-12 in Long Beach, Calif. Register today and don’t miss your chance to personally thank Owen for his many years of dedicated service.
Click here to view photos of Newlin through the years.