NAMA announces award winners.

NAMA has announced the winners of the Professional Development Awards of Excellence. Four members will receive these awards that honor outstanding achievement in the areas of Marketing Communications, Product/Species Management, Public Relations and Sales. The awards will be presented during the 2004 Agribusiness Forum November 16-17 in Kansas City.

DeStefano named Marketing Communications honoree.

As director of communications and e-commerce, Nell DeStefano works directly with marketing and product management to ensure that FMC's products are properly positioned, their brand integrity maintained, and all marketing communications initiatives are designed to achieve stated market objectives. Product groups he is responsible for include FMC's line of branded herbicides and insecticides marketed to agribusiness for North America, a line of pest-management products marketed to the professional pest management industry and turf and ornamental pesticides marketed to lawn care, golf course, nursery, and other lawn and garden market segments.

DeStefano has been involved with NAMA for several years, including serving on the board of directors.

Product/Species Management honor awarded to Wendy Elliott.

Elliott is product manager for Pfizer Animal Health in Quebec. With the acquisition of Pharmacia by Pfizer Animal Health, Elliott was a key member of the transition team including the positioning of the Pfizer dairy team as the industry leader.

In the past year, she has led the introduction for an innovative internal teat sealant to the Canadian dairy industry. She has facilitated the re-launch of the Fresh-Cow program, customizing to meet the regional differences of Canadian Dairy veterinarians and producers.

Wendy Elliott is a NAMA member and has also been an active member of the CAMA organization including judging committee for Best of CAMA.

NCBA's Kendal Frazier receives Public Relations award.

Kendal Frazier is vice president of communications for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. The last two years have been extremely challenging for the beef industry in the area of food safety. In 2002, ConAgra/ Swift announced the largest recall of beef in U.S. history. Frazier led a team of public relations professionals to implement a media strategy to assure consumers that U.S. beef was safe.

On May 20, the Canadian government announced that a case of BSE had been diagnosed in a Canadian cow. Frazier led a team of NCBA public relations and issues management staff and agency professionals that helped implement a crisis management plan that bad been prepared years ago.

Frazier is a long-time NAMA member and has served on national committees and also served as a speaker at national events.

Allen Barkve named Sales honoree.

Allen Barkve is regional sales manager for Primedia Business Magazines and Media. He helped conceive and execute the launch of a first-of-its kind e-newsletter for cash hay producers titled "eHay Weekly." He sold all of the available e-newsletter sponsorships. He has developed innovative sales solutions for a number of customers.

By using his skills in networking and analyzing customer needs, he has developed multi-media sales proposals for a variety of customers. He has led the way by finding new advertisers for the ag market.

Barkve is a past president for the North Central NAMA chapter.