Last week at CropLife America’s (CLA) annual meeting in Dana Point, Calif., Wilbur-Ellis Company director of regulatory and government affairs Scott Rawlins received the Lea S. Hitchner Service Award.
The award, named after CLA’s first and longest-serving president, honors an individual whose outstanding contributions to the crop protection industry and CLA’s association activities epitomize the essence of Lea S. Hitchner himself. Nominations for the award are made by industry professionals and the winner is selected by CLA leadership. The award was presented by CLA president and CEO Jay Vroom.
“Scott’s passion and energy for agriculture is evident through his involvement with CLA, as is his history of meaningful work to move the agriculture industry forward,” said Vroom.
Rawlins has been an active member of CLA’s Strategic Oversight Committee and currently serves as chair of CLA’s State Affairs Committee (SAC). As SAC chair, he has been heavily engaged in management of CLA’s response to various state and local issues, including the Lincoln County, Ore., initiative and the ResponsibleAg program. Rawlins has also helped make CLA’s distributor forums meaningful and helpful for members.
Years before joining Wilbur-Ellis, while he was at the American Farm Bureau Federation, Rawlins was instrumental in rallying and uniting allies to work with the EPA and USDA on implementing the Food Quality Protection Act.
“This industry brings people together, and it was at a CLA conference seven years ago we recognized the challenges Wilbur-Ellis and the industry faced and asked Scott to join our team,” said Wilbur-Ellis Company president Dan Vradenburg. “Scott has done a stellar job and has made significant contributions to both the company and the industry. He truly has passion for what he does. We are proud of Scott and thank his wife Barb for all her support.”
Based in Wisconsin, Rawlins joined Wilbur-Ellis Company in 2011, bringing more than 20 years of regulatory and public affairs experience. In his role, Rawlins counsels company management on federal, state and local regulations including those under the EPA, Department of Transportation and Department of Labor. Additionally, Rawlins keeps government and industry officials abreast of the company’s position when new government and regulatory policies arise, and advocates for legislation that is favorable to both the company’s vision and the industry at large.
“This is a well-deserved award,” said Wilbur-Ellis CEO John Thacher. “Scott has always had a passion for agriculture, as well as a unique way of clearly articulating the complex issues that U.S. farmers face. His candid and fact-based approach is a breath of fresh air.”