Colorado Corn Hosts Annual Event, Honors Legislators, Company of the Year, and Amicus Friend of Ag
GREELEY, CO – December 9, 2019
Colorado Corn Growers Association (CCGA) and Colorado Corn Administrative Committee (CCAC) honored four award recipients at their annual event December 4, 2019 in downtown Greeley, Colorado at the DoubleTree. The annual event is hosted by both organizations to celebrate the conclusion of harvest and to recognize the individuals and companies who have contributed to the betterment of their organizations.
2019 Award Recipients
Sen. Don Coram – State Legislator of the Year
Sen. Cory Gardner – U.S. Legislator of the Year
MillerCoors – Company of the Year
Mark Sponsler – Amicus Friend of Agriculture
Sen. Don Coram is a strong voice for rural Colorado and is recognized in 2019 for standing up for water rights for agriculture, local control on education, and the western way of life. His work on the sex education bill during the 2019 legislative session was especially noteworthy and appreciated.
Sen. Cory Gardner has close ties to agriculture, graduated summa cum laude from Colorado State University and received his law degree from the University of Colorado Boulder. His commonsense approach to solving problems is needed in D.C. He is applauded for his civil approach, for building consensus, and advancing legislation on pressing issues.
MillerCoors proudly stands by their way of making beer, the ingredients used in the brewing process, and the farmers who grow those ingredients. Their commitment was elevated this year in the way they responded to Anheuser Busch’s Super Bowl ad campaign. What started with a full-page ad in the New York Times praising farmers, extended to delivering beer to a National Corn Growers reception and sponsoring the first ever ‘Toast to Farmers’ which they announced with Brothers Osborne at the Grammys among other promotions. For their outstanding support of agriculture, a toast to MillerCoors!
Mark Sponsler, CEO of Colorado Corn since 2006, has demonstrated extraordinary commitment and service to Colorado agriculture. During his tenure, Mark has improved the financial strength of the organization, returned the organizations to their core principals of serving Colorado farmers, and reduced the assessment refund rate from nearly 41% to twelve percent. At his core, Mark is committed to farmers and Colorado agriculture and his service extends well beyond Colorado Corn. He has served and continues to serve in lead and supporting roles on numerous boards, committees, and panels related to agriculture. Mark’s appointments are too numerous to list, but the short list includes National Ag Industry Council, and has served as Past Chairman of Colorado Ag Council, Colorado Ag Water Alliance, and Colorado Farm Show Board of Directors.
About: Established in 1979, Colorado Corn Growers Association (CCGA) serves as the voice and grassroots advocacy organization for corn producers within the state. Members voluntarily focus their support and engagement on shaping state and national policy that specifically impacts corn producers and agriculture in general. CCGA is affiliated with the National Corn Growers Association, which has more than 40,000 dues-paying members nationwide.
Colorado Corn Administrative Committee (CCAC) manages producer’s one-penny-per-bushel assessment from the sale of grain corn, collected by the state’s first handlers. These funds are invested in research, market development, consumer outreach and education to create opportunities for producers and enhance the value of corn.