Evelyn Brandt-Thomas and Glen Brandt of Brandt/Brandt Consolidated selected as 2015 Illinois Ag Ambassadors
New program designed to help promote Illinois agriculture

[August 10, 2015]  SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Philip Nelson announced today Evelyn Brandt-Thomas and Glen Brandt, of Springfield will serve as the state’s inaugural Ag Ambassadors.

The Ag Ambassador has many key functions primarily utilized during the Illinois State Fair and the DuQuoin State Fair. The Ambassador plays a key role in promoting and educating others about Illinois agriculture.

Each year an Ag Ambassador will be selected to attend events throughout the year with the Director and State Fair Manager. Those events include, but are not limited to, the state fair parades, Ag Day Breakfast, Governor’s Sale of Champions, and more.

The Ag Ambassador will be selected yearly by the Director of Agriculture, prior to the Illinois State Fair. The following is criteria used for naming an Illinois Ag Ambassador:

• Recipient must be vested in agriculture community
• Recipient must reside in the state of Illinois
• Recipient must be personally involved in the community, not-for profit organizations, and have a record of volunteerism
• Recipient must be a voice for Illinois agriculture and have a history of promoting the state’s number one industry

Evelyn Brandt-Thomas and Glen Brandt were selected as the 2015 recipients of the Illinois Ag Ambassador designation based on their dedication to the preservation of Illinois agriculture for years to come. The brother-and-sister co-founded BRANDT. The Sangamon County agribusiness has grown from a small operation in Pleasant Plains to an agricultural enterprise with international reach. “Even into their 80’s and 90’s, the Brandts remains active in their family business,” said Director Philip Nelson. “BRANDT is a true Illinois agriculture success story.”

Evelyn Brandt-Thomas is an active philanthropist with significant contributions made to 4-H and FFA in addition to numerous other not-for-profits throughout central Illinois. Evelyn recently received her honorary doctorate from the University of Illinois Springfield for her years of dedication and service to her community. With 10 scholarship awards already established for college students studying agriculture, Evelyn focuses on the future of agriculture.

Glen Brandt is a recipient of the Agricultural Retailers Association Lifetime Achievement Award and past president of the Fluid Fertilizer Foundation. Glen has dedicated his life's work to assisting farmers adopt new technologies in Illinois since BRANDT was founded in 1953. A Patron of the Memorial Medical Center Foundation and charter member of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, Glen continues to give to his community.

[Illinois Department of Agriculture]