Integrity, impact, and growth opportunity

By Nick Goeser, Ph.D. ACSESS CEO ngoeser@-sciencesocieties.org

January 28, 2020

New CEO Nick Goeser with his wife and son at one of their favorite spots in Maine. The family loves to spend time outside together hiking.

Dear Members: What a great start this has been! Since I began in this new role 2 December, I have felt extremely welcome by the Societies, ACSESS, and the Agronomic Science Foundation (ASF). I am honored to be joining the leading organizations for the advance of sciences through research publications, scientific meetings, and professional certifications.

After moving around the country for our careers, I am excited to be returning to Wisconsin with my wife and one-year-old son. I grew up in dairy production in southeast Wisconsin, which is where my appreciation for row crop production and livestock began. The environment and soil health, particularly as they relate to agriculture, were common topics in my household—especially with Lake Michigan in our backyard.

I stayed in Wisconsin to complete my education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. My B.S. and M.S. were both in agronomy, and my Ph.D. work focused on nitrogen use efficiency in vegetable production. I have gained a unique perspective of many sectors through my career path. I have worked on-farm, in the seed industry, for commodity groups, and at non-profit organizations. This combination of work experiences helps me appreciate many of the viewpoints of our members, authors, and meeting attendees while opening opportunities to expand our reach with new audiences moving forward.

During my time at the National Corn Growers Association, I had the opportunity to lead the development of the Soil Health Partnership (SHP) program. I am proud of the success of SHP, which went from concept to national impact in my four years there. It continues as a strong advocate for soil health.

Reflecting upon my professional experiences thus far, I have seen the power of diversity—not only the strength a diverse group of team members can bring to the table, but also the potential within diverse partnerships. I consistently find myself connecting the dots between seemingly different groups to bring scientific and non-scientific communities together.

I am enthusiastic for the future of our organizations. Technology and science are changing at a rapid pace as are the trends on where science is conducted and developed. There is an urgent pressure from all angles to continue our scientific discoveries. The government, mother nature, developing countries, and the next generation all depend on us to solve big questions. With change comes great opportunity, and I look forward to embracing this opportunity with all of you!

What attracted me most to this opportunity are our strengths for leverage. These include the integrity of the organizations, the impact we have, and growth opportunities moving forward.

Integrity

ASA, CSSA, and SSSA have rich histories. The Societies are highly developed with many avenues to support advancements in science to support our membership. In addition, the Societies are highly regarded by researchers, the government, and national media.

Impact

With more than 9,000 members across the world, great staff, and exceptional leadership, the Societies, ASF, and ACSESS continue to make an astounding impact. We can witness the influence we have through numerous publications, professional meetings, science policy initiatives, industry certifications, and science communications to the public.

Growth Opportunity

To build impact, we need action to continue developing our organizations further. More than ever before, we will need to work together, collaborate, and build novel partnerships that bring value to new and existing members. In the years to come, I look forward to developing new opportunities by expanding our footprint beyond our typical avenues. We will connect to support academia, industry, NGO, government, growers, and the public to achieve our missions as scientific organizations.

The ACSESS staff and the Societies’ executive leadership teams have done an excellent job focusing on meeting the needs of our members. I know we have strength in our members who will help carry us through future challenges as they arise.

I would like to ask for your full support for our Societies through staff, leadership teams, and myself. I look forward to getting to know all of you, our valued members, over the coming year.

Natalie A. Henkhaus, Wolfgang Busch, Angela Chen, Adán Colón‐Carmona, Maya Cothran, Nicolas Diaz, Jose Pablo Dundore‐Arias, Michael Gonzales, Denita Hadziabdic, Rebecca A. Hayes, Gustavo C. MacIntosh, Ali Na, Blessing Nyamasoka‐Magonziwa, Dianne Pater, F. Christopher Peritore‐Galve, Tara Phelps‐Durr, Kerry Rouhier, Delanie B. Sickler, John H. Starnes, Quentin R. Tyler, Evelyn Valdez‐Ward, Miguel E. Vega‐Sánchez, Ron R. Walcott, Joy K. Ward, Sarah E. Wyatt, Felipe Zapata, Ash T. Zemenick, David B. Stern, Removing systemic barriers to equity, diversity, and inclusion: Report of the 2019 Plant Science Research Network workshop “Inclusivity in the Plant Sciences”, Plant Direct, 10.1002/pld3.432, 6, 8, (2022).

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