APEX award honors individuals with significant contributions

The Apex Award recognizes individuals with outstanding contributions to their field and a strong connection to the department.

The lecture also will feature guest speaker Zoltan Acs, professor at the George Mason School of Public Policy and a research scholar at the Max-Planck Institute for Economics in Jena, Germany. Topics covered will emphasize entrepreneurship and innovation.

Apex Award recipients are Norma and Levi Huffman of Lafayette, Ind.; Phil Kimmel of Louisville; Vicki McCracken of Pullman, Wash.; and Filipe Ravara of Lisbon, Portugal.

• The Huffmans farm nearly 3,000 acres of soybeans, tomatoes, cabbage, corn, mini-gourds and mini-pumpkins, as well as produce 9,000 hogs each year. The couple has a successful farm business and provide an example of successful farm business management through participation in various programs and community organizations. The Huffmans visit farm management classes and participate in programs organized by the agricultural economics department. Levi assisted in launching the Agricultural Innovation and Commercialization Center by serving on its board of directors. He has held positions with Indiana Farm Bureau, the North Central Risk Management Education Center, Pork Producers and the Tippecanoe County Extension Board.

• Kimmel, senior vice-president of business development for Farm Credit Services-Mid America, supports Indiana agriculture and continuing education for farmers. He provided funding for the Strategic Business Planning for Commercial Producers (SBPCP) materials, offered by the Department of Agricultural Economics and based on the Executive Institute for Commercial Producers (EICP) program. Kimmel was the Farm Credit Services-Mid America's partner for developing the Executive Institute for Commercial Producers program. He continues to invest in the EICP program by sponsoring alumni events that bring program graduates together for update sessions.

• McCracken received her master's and doctorate degrees from Purdue's Department of Agricultural Economics and currently serves as associate vice president and associate vice provost for enrollment services at Washington State University. She provides leadership for recruitment and admission efforts for undergraduate students; oversees the budget and planning processes; and supervises the office of Admissions, Financial Aid and Scholarship Services, and Registrar. McCracken has a strong background in data collection, statistical analysis and outcomes assessment, general marketing, and analysis with a focus on consumer behavior.

• Ravara, who earned a master's degree in horticulture and a doctorate in agricultural economics from Purdue, is general manager and assistant to the board of Caixa Geral de Depositos (CGA) Bank. Ravara won the Outstanding Master's Thesis Award in 1991 and the Outstanding Doctorate Thesis Award in 1994 from the American Agricultural Economics Association. Since 1996 he has taught business management courses as an adjunct professor at Nova University and other universities. Ravara is responsible for promoting the marketing and business interface between CGA and the bank's branch network, which provides asset management and investment for customers.

Writer: Julie Douglas, (765) 496-1050, douglajk@purdue.edu

Source: Rhonda Bairaktaris, (765) 494-4247, rbairak1@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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