Eric Winans with BRANDT Named the 2024 ARA Rising Star
HOUSTON, Texas (Dec. 5, 2024) – ARA recognized a group of top performers and emerging leaders as part of its Rising Stars award program at the 2024 ARA Conference & Expo.
The Rising Stars Award program, offered by the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) and sponsored by Atticus, recognizes a group of top performers and emerging leaders and offers new ways to hone their leadership skills. Through participation in ARA Conference educational sessions and networking events, ARA Rising Stars expanded their network to include industry thought leaders such as ARA board members and learned new approaches to apply to their work.
This year's Rising Stars Award Program theme was "Empowering Leadership through the Next Frontier." As part of the award application process, ARA Rising Stars award winners submitted videos to Atticus, sharing their unique stories and explaining what this year's theme meant to them. Eric Winans, PhD, Research Farm Manager and Technical Agronomist with BRANDT, was named this year's Rising Star! Watch Eric's winning video.
“Each year we look forward to recognizing a new class of Rising Stars for their impactful work in the ag retail industry,” says ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock. “We hope these top performers will remain engaged with ARA as we work together to advance our industry for years to come.”
New this year was the Atticus Fan Favorite Video Contest, which empowered Rising Stars to share their application videos on social media, encouraging friends and family to vote for them. Chase Porter, Southern States Cooperative, was named the Fan Favorite winner with the most votes.
"We remain consistently impressed by the level of professionalism and enthusiasm demonstrated by the Rising Stars," shares Randy Canady, Atticus Founder and CEO. "It is with great pride that we acknowledge these emerging leaders for their passion, dedication, and steadfast commitment to advancing the agriculture industry."
As part of the program, Eric Winans also completed the ARA NAVIGATOR 360° online leadership assessment to identify his own strengths and areas to improve as it relates to our company’s unique needs. Developed specifically for agricultural leaders, this ARA tool developed by NuVue empowers organizations to thrive in challenging times through developing effective leadership.
Rising Stars nominations are accepted annually from late spring until early fall and are open exclusively to ARA members.
Learn more about the Rising Stars Award program. View each of the videos submitted by this class of Rising Stars. See a list of the this year's ARA Rising Stars.
Learn more about the ARA Conference & Expo on the website or on ARA’s social media.
About Agricultural Retailers Association
The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) is a nonprofit trade association representing the interests of retailers across the United States on legislative and regulatory issues on Capitol Hill. As the political voice of agricultural retailers, ARA not only represents its membership but also educates members on the political process and important issues affecting the industry. For more information on current legislative and regulatory issues impacting agricultural retailers, visit www.aradc.org
About BRANDT
A leading agricultural company, BRANDT serves growers around the globe. Founded in 1953 by Glen Brandt and his sister Evelyn Brandt Thomas to help Illinois farmers adopt new and profitable technologies, the company has experienced aggressive growth under the leadership of President and CEO Rick Brandt. BRANDT’s focus is providing the products and services that give growers the best opportunity for return while building a stronger, healthier and more abundant food supply.
