Iowa State Honors Jim Blome, President & CEO of Bayer CropScience

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.- In recognition of outstanding leadership and service to the field of agriculture, Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP, was honored with the Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Science’s Henry A. Wallace Award. Blome (’85), who received a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and pest management from the university, received the award at the Iowa State Alumni Association Honors and Awards Ceremony Nov. 8 as part of the university’s homecoming celebrations.

Henry A. Wallace, the award’s namesake, was an Iowa State alumnus who served as the Secretary of Agriculture and Vice President of the United States during the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The award has been granted each year since 1978 during Iowa State’s homecoming to honor a university alumnus who has made an outstanding contribution to national or international agriculture in agricultural writing, teaching, research or leadership. Blome was selected due to his influence in the agricultural industry and commitment to community involvement throughout his career, most recently at Bayer CropScience.

It is an honor to receive such high recognition from my alma mater,” said Blome. “Iowa State was instrumental in inspiring me to pursue a career in agriculture, and my experience there has greatly influenced my leadership at Bayer CropScience. I am committed to public service and advancing the field of agriculture in order to help meet the needs of a growing, hungry planet now and in the future.”

Other criteria considered by the awards panel included Blome’s more than 25 years of leadership in agriculture, including his current position at Bayer CropScience, as well as executive positions at Valent USA Corp, Agriliance LLC, Agtrol International and Griffin LLC. Active within the industry and the local community, Blome serves on the executive board of directors for CropLife America, the sponsors board of directors for the National Future Farmers of America (FFA), the North Carolina Agricultural Biotechnology advisory council, the MBA Executive Advisory Council for Iowa State University and the National Wild Turkey Federation’s (NWTF) foundation board.

“We are exceptionally proud of what Jim has been able to accomplish at Bayer CropScience, as well as the leadership that he has provided as an alumnus of Iowa State University,” said Philip Blake, President, Bayer Corporation. “He has certainly made a difference in the way we approach research and development, and his selfless contributions to agriculture make him most deserving of the Henry A. Wallace Award.”

For more information on Bayer CropScience, visit http://www.bayercropscience.us.