Awards

Service Awards

Current Award Program

In order to reflect the modern industry, the Market Development Committee recommended and the NAAB board approved changes to the award program to recognize Years of Service. It is also acknowledged that being an A.I. technician is a physically challenging profession and recognition should be granted at 15 years of service. Following are the new awards that will be recognized:

15 Year Technician Award: Awards are issued for A.I. Technicians that have completed 15 years of specifically A.I. Technician Service work.

20 Year Award: Awards are issued for a person completing 20 years of service to the A.I. industry.

30 Year Award: Awards are issued for a person completing 30 years of service to the A.I. industry.

40 Year Award: Awards are issued for a person completing 40 years of service to the A.I. industry.

50 Year Award: Awards are issued for a person completing 50 years of service to the A.I. industry.

Historic Awards

Application for Service Award

New Awards Rollout Plan and History Announcement

INdustry Peer Award Winners

2023 Research Award

Dr. Kent Weigel

Dr. Weigel is the Judge John J. Crown Chair of Dairy Genetics and Department Chair, Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition to teaching undergraduate students and mentoring graduate students in the animal genetics program, he also manages the academic departments that include 30 faculty, 60 academic and university staff, 80 graduate students, 250 undergraduate students and 10 animal units.

2023 Distinguished Service Award

Paul Larmer

Paul's 42-year career contributions span the globe, influencing many and are immensely multi-faceted. Paul's impact on global cattle genetic improvement, his business leadership and vision, positive voice for global agriculture, and supporter of youth programs are just a few of his accomplishments. His vision and challenge to "demand the best" has motivated his worldwide staff of 1,800 to record sales during his tenure as CEO at Semex.

2023 Member Assn. Director Award

Photo of Member Association Director Award Winner

Dorothy Harms

Dorothy is an accomplished leader with many years of involvement with the Select Sires and CentralStar (East Central Select Sires & Northstar Cooperative merger) Boards of Directors. Dorothy's strong financial aptitude, coupled with her forward-looking demeanor are two major characteristics that brought strong leadership to the boards of both organizations that allowed record growth and expansion. The result was financial stability which has allowed Select Sires to become a global leader in the industry.

2023 Pioneer Award

Dr. Vish Vishwanath

Dr. Ramakrishnan "Vish" Vishwanath (deceased) established, and conducted highly influential research in several key areas that helped shape the AI industry worldwide. From developing and managing innovative R&D programs, to implementing new technologies that created value for the AI industry, Vish was always searching for new opportunities for the expansion of the use of best practices for conventional and sex sorted, fresh and frozen semen.

2021 Research Award

Dr. John Parrish

Dr. Parrish is one of the few remaining specialists trained in male andrology, applied male physiology in livestock species and laboratory methodology that understand the specifics within an A.I. organizations and the limitations of applying research. Dr. Parrish continues to be a resource to the A.I. industry in both a research and technical capacity. Many students who have worked under Dr. Parrish now work in the A.I. industry in varying capacities.

2021 Distinguished Service Award

Keith Heikes

Keith has been instrumental in the consolidation of the A.I. industry. His vision of NOBA becoming a subsidiary of CRI helped him to further make a difference in the industry. Keith brought together many lasting relationships based on his honesty, integrity, vision, and passion for success. Keith's leadership skills, innovative thinking, and strong commitment to cooperatives led him to the position of CEO of CRI. Keith's contributions to cooperatives, his vision on the development of world-wide markets for A.I. products/services led him on a well-respected journey of outstanding success.

2021 Member Assn. Director Award

Pete DeGroot

Pete has exhibited leadership ability and commitment to the development of the A.I. industry for the past 45 years. He was elected to serve on the Select Sires Board of Directors from 2000-2020. His strong financial aptitude coupled with his forward-looking demeanor brought characteristics to his strong leadership on the Board of Directors.

2021 Pioneer Award

Dr. Ole Meland

Dr. Ole Meland was a leader in the A.I. industry, dedicating his life to the betterment of the entire industry. One of Dr. Meland's most important contributions to the industry was his selfless work in helping to establish the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding. The industry was profoundly and positively affected by his efforts to assist with the establishment and creation of the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB).

2020 Research Award

Dr. John Cole

One of Dr. Cole's biggest contributions was his work on the development and application of genomic selection in dairy and his work in the implementation and improvement of the Net Merit Index. He is known for putting the achievement of knowledge and the advancement of science above his own recognition.

2020 Distinguished Service Award

John Schouten

Schouten was hired at World Wide Sires as a sales team member 35 years ago. John applied himself into the international dairy scene after completion of an intensive German language school at the Goethe Institute located in Boppard Am Rhine, Germany. He quickly adapted and built relationships within the international dairy scene that have opened doors for US cattle genetics on the international market. He began his role as CEO and General Manager of World Wide Sires, Ltd. in 2001, when World Wide Sires was acquired by Select Sires and Accelerated Genetics.

2020 Member Assn. Director Award

Dan Andreas

Dan has exhibited leadership ability and commitment to the development of the A.I. industry for the past 42 years. He was elected to serve on the Select Sires Inc. Board in 2007 and served on the Farm and Building Committee, International Committee, Art Committee and Research Committee from 2007 until 2020. Dan was elected as the Chair of the Select Sires Board in May 2016 and served in that capacity through 2020. He also served on the Board of Directors for World Wide Sires in Visalia, CA and was an international ambassador for US genetics and travelled internationally representing Select Sires and World Wide Sires.

2020 Pioneer Award

Doug Wilson

Doug Wilson was a leader during his time in the A.I. industry and agriculture. Doug was instrumental in the development of the linear type evaluation system, leading the development and implementation across the industry. He provided guidance within the industry as it moved to a more science-based approach of collecting and evaluating trait types. Doug was often considered a forward-thinker. He led an initiative to import semen from Europe, at a time when many within the industry didn’t approve. This allowed U.S. dairy farmers to access some of the top bulls in the world. Doug was also an early adopter of the advantages of sexed semen and supported its commercial development.

2018 Research Award

Dr. Richard Pursley

During his Ph.D. training, Dr. Pursley co-developed with Dr. Milo Wiltbank what is now the world’s most widely used ovulation synchronization protocol called "Ovsynch". According to Hoard's Dairyman, Ovsynch is one of the best and most economical timed AI programs ever developed for the dairy industry.

2018 Distinguished Service Award

Dr. Gordon A. Doak

Certified Semen Services was established in 1976 as a NAAB subsidiary and Dr. Gordon A. Doak was hired to be the first Service Director of CSS and Technical Director of NAAB. As NAAB Technical Director, Gordon administered the NAAB Uniform Coding program and, also worked closely with the Research, Technical and Sire Health and Management committees.

2018 Member Assn. Director Award

Myron Czech

Czech has exhibited leadership ability and commitment to the development of the A.I. industry for the past 27 years. He is a founding member of the Minnesota Select Sires Cooperative (1986), having served 26 years as a board member, as a multiple-term President of Minnesota Select Sires, a 15-year board member for Select Sires Inc. spending 9 years as an executive officer presiding over one of the strongest growth periods in company history.

2018 Pioneer Award - no award given

View previous award winners

Application for Research Award

Application for Member Association Director Award

Application for Distinguished Service Award

Application for Pioneer Award