Evelyn
Brandt-Thomas and Glen Brandt of Brandt/Brandt Consolidated selected
as 2015 Illinois Ag Ambassadors
New program designed to help promote
Illinois agriculture
Send a link to a friend
[August 12, 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.”
[to top of second column] |
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.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Aug/07/images/ads/current/business_directory_filler.png)
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] |