NASDA Announces 2025 Honor Award Recipients

ROGERS, Ark. – At its 2025 annual meeting, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) recognized three employees of state departments of agriculture for their service, communication and administration on behalf of their state.

“Every year, we have the honor of celebrating the individuals whose dedication and innovation help advance agriculture in meaningful ways,” NASDA President and Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward said. “These awards reflect our deep appreciation for those who work wholeheartedly to support our communities, strengthen our food systems and secure a thriving future for agriculture.”

This year, the association also awarded the NASDA Public-Private Partnership Award.

Communications Award: Heather Lansdowne, Kansas Department of Agriculture.

Heather Lansdowne, director of communications at the Kansas Department of Agriculture, received the 2025 Communications Award. This award honors distinguished efforts in media and public communications that enhance public understanding of agriculture.

NASDA

Over the last decade, Lansdowne has cultivated a deep respect for and strong connection to Kansas farmers and ranchers while skillfully ensuring external communication resonates with the general public, said NASDA. This perspective has helped convey complex animal and plant health issues in a clear and relatable way. 

Douglass-Irvin Administration Award: Julie Cook, Wyoming Department of Agriculture.

Julie Cook, administrative/financial manager at the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, has been selected as the 2025 Douglass-Irvin Administration Award in recognition of her exceptional contributions to a state agency, leading to enhanced administrative efficiency and greater organizational impact, said NASDA.

NASDA

Cook has dedicated more than 25 years to the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, currently serving as the administration division manager, overseeing fiscal, human resources, reporting, public information and IT efforts. With expertise in accounting and state regulations, she is a trusted resource both within the department and across Wyoming’s government, said the association.

James A. Graham Award for Outstanding Service: Katie Howard, New York State Department of Agriculture.

Katie Howard, deputy commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, is the recipient of the James A. Graham Award for Outstanding Service. This award honors outstanding efforts in delivering meaningful support and service to farmers and ranchers.

NASDA

Howard has served the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets for five years, progressing from special counsel for ethics, risk and compliance to deputy commissioner in 2024, where she now oversees the division of food safety and inspection, division of milk control and dairy services and the New York State Food Laboratory. She has played a pivotal role in New York’s proactive response to highly pathogenic avian influenza, leading complex testing and surveillance initiatives in coordination with federal and state partners to protect dairy herds, poultry and public health, said NASDA.

NASDA Public-Private Partnership Award: SAS.

The NASDA Public–Private Partnership Award honors a NASDA partner organization that has worked alongside state departments of agriculture to deliver a program, project or service with a meaningful impact at the state or national level. This year, the award is presented to SAS.

NASDA

While all NASDA partners raise NASDA’s ability to serve state agriculture departments and provide quality member value, SAS has gone above and beyond, said the association. SAS has been an active NASDA partner since 2022, and since joining the association's network, the SAS team has proactively sought solutions to the issues they hear about in the room at meetings, said NASDA. This year, SAS has brought about four regional and national solutions that address issues NASDA members face with an inaccurate drought system, international market development and regional food system resiliency, said NASDA.