The Mosaic Company said July 11 that Jim Prokopanko will be named executive vice president and chief operating officer effective July 31, 2006. Prokopanko currently serves as a corporate vice president of Cargill Inc. “Jim’s 25 years of experience in the crop nutrition industry makes him an ideal choice to be Mosaic’s chief operating officer,” said Fritz Corrigan, Mosaic president and CEO. “This position will strengthen our organization. Jim’s credentials, including his strong leadership as a director of Mosaic since our launch in October 2004, will allow him to hit the ground running. Jim has not only helped address our major issues, he’s helped shape our strategy.”
Prokopanko, 52, will have day-to-day responsibilities for the production and commercial teams, and will report directly to Corrigan. Prokopanko will continue to serve as a director of Mosaic, and also serves on the board of Saskferco Products Inc. He has been with Cargill since 1978.
The Western Plant Health Association, Sacramento, has named Pamela Emery as director of programs. Emery is responsible for managing the multiple committees, regulatory compliance programs, plant nutrients conferences, and other projects of WPHA. Her responsibilities will also include coordinating the activities of the California Fertilizer Foundation, a nonprofit organization encouraging the use of school gardens as an effective educational tool in California schools. Emery holds a BS in environmental toxicology from the University of California, Davis, and teaching credentials in life science, chemistry, and mathematics. For the past 16 years she has served as the curriculum specialist and a program coordinator for the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, an organization that promotes agricultural literacy.
WPHA has named veteran newspaper journalist Richard Cornett its new director of communications. He will be responsible for managing and directing communication operations for the group’s membership, as well as the general public and news organizations. Cornett has worked for several news agencies in Northern California, and has also been the public information officer for the California Conservation Corps.
The Tessenderlo Group has announced organizational changes at its Inorganics business unit. As of July 1, Patrick Losson has been named director, business unit, inorganics, at the European level. Reporting to him are Paolo Cerato, sales manager, fertilizers and feed ingredients, Nicolas White, marketing manager, fertilizers, and Wouter Bleukx, marketing manager, feed ingredients.
Marsulex Inc. has named William Martin to the position of CFO. Marsulex said he was most recently vice president, finance, for a large publicly traded TSX-listed Canadian company.
The Potash & Phosphate Institute (PPI) in early June bestowed its 2005-2006 Robert E. Wagner Award on Dr. David E. Kissel, Professor and Director, Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories, University of Georgia; and Dr. Nathan A. Slaton, Associate Professor, Director of Soil Testing, University of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Kissel received PPI’s Senior Scientist Award, and Slaton took the Young Scientist Award. The recipient in each category receives $5,000 along with the award plaque.
According to a PPI news release, Dr. Kissel’s research on plant nitrogen nutrition “has significantly contributed to improved efficiencies of urea fertilizers by serving as the cornerstone for ammonia loss algorithms in many models that are used today. His recent efforts related to variability in southeast U.S. soils have had considerable impact in that he has integrated the effects of soil physical and chemical properties into management systems that increase productivity and protect the environment.” PPI said Dr. Slaton’s current research program focus is to update phosphorus and potassium recommendations in Arkansas for rice, soybean, and winter wheat by conducting correlation-calibration studies. “His research program is also developing guidelines for use of poultry litter as a nutrient source for crops, examining polymer coatedurea as a potential preplant incorporated nitrogen source for flood irrigated rice, investigating relationships among rice diseases/nutrient management/production practices, and examining sustainable potassium fertilization strategies for rotations involving rice and soybean,” PPI said.
“The 2006 recipients of the Robert E. Wagner Award are highly deserving of this honor, and they join a distinguished group of previous winners,” said Dr. Terry L. Roberts, president of PPI. “We congratulate Dr. Kissel and Dr. Slaton for their achievements and dedication in their profession.”