ASTA Holds First Virtual Annual Membership Meeting in History – Sponsor Support Crucial

On June 16, ASTA held the first virtual Annual Meeting of its members in its 137-year history. The highly attended session featured opening remarks from Bruce Kettler, Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, a presentation on Part 340 biotechnology regulations by Bernadette Juarez, Deputy Administrator, Biotechnology Regulatory Services at USDA-APHIS, the traditional State of the Association address by ASTA Chair Wayne Gale of Stokes Seeds, association Board of Directors and officer elections and annual award announcements.

Sponsorship support has been crucial to the functioning of ASTA’s event efforts this summer, despite the necessity to alter some sponsorship packages when the live event transitioned to virtual. “Our annual sponsors were absolutely wonderful to work with as we reviewed some necessary changes we had to make from what they would have originally seen in Indy this summer,” says Jennifer Crouse, ASTA’s Senior Director of Meetings & Services. “We rolled out a series of changes that altered what we could offer, but all of them stuck with us in this very challenging year and continued to support our programs without skipping a beat.”

ASTA’s annual sponsors include: Strategic Partners – BASF, Bayer, Corteva Agriscience and Syngenta; Annual Partner – SGS; and Silver Circle Partners – AgReliant Genetics and RiceTec. ASTA extends its warmest thanks to these sponsors for their continued support!

ASTA members can view all of the free PLDC Virtual sessions, including sessions that began on May 16  continuing through July 16 by registering on the PLDC Virtual website.