The Mosaic Co. has announced the election of James Popowich to its board of directors Dec. 14. He is currently the president of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM). He served as president and CEO of Elk Valley Coal Corp. in Calgary, Alberta, and president of the Fording Canadian Coal Trust from 2004 to 2006. Popowich was recently named the Resource Person of the Year by the Alberta Chamber of Resources. He will also serve on the Environmental, Health and Safety Committee and the Special Transactions Committee of Mosaic’s board.
Rentech Inc. has named to its board of directors Dr. Ronald Sega, former Air Force undersecretary and NASA astronaut, who is currently vice president for applied research with the Colorado State University Research Foundation. Sega also serves as the Woodward Professor of Systems Engineering at Colorado State’s college of engineering, and special assistant to the university’s vice president for research.
John Hester, owner and president of Nichols Ag in Iowa, received the Agricultural Retailers Association’s 2007 ARA Distinguished Service Award. “John Hester is a man of the industry and is the epitome of a true retailer leading the charge for change, paving the way for the best to come in the future,” said Jack Eberspacher, ARA president and CEO. “John has led by serving as chairman of the board of ARA, and ensuring the future of ARA by opposing a merger that threatened to overtake us more than three years ago now. He is loyal, honest, tenacious and dedicated – John is without a doubt one of the very best.” ARA said Nichols Ag is a full-service agronomy and grain dealership, recognized for its environmental stewardship in the crop input business. The recipient of the annual award is selected by the ARA Executive Committee.