RICHMOND—Paul Rogers Jr., of Rogers Farm in Wakefield has received the Virginia Agribusiness Council’s 2013 Distinguished Service Award. Council Board of Directors member Clay Roberts of Mechanicsville presented the award during a meeting of the Virginia Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Richmond on March 28.

Recipients of this award share a common thread in that they have been outstanding supporters of the Virginia Agribusiness Council and have made a major impact on the agribusiness community.

Paul Rogers, Jr. is recognized as a strong supporter of the Virginia Agribusiness Council and contributor to the fulfillment of its mission to be the unified voice for agribusiness. A long-time member, Rogers served on the Council’s Board of Directors in 2003 and 2004.Within the agribusiness community, Mr. Rogers is a respected leader. He is the current President of the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and serves on the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors as the Board of Agriculture representative. During his tenure on the Board of Visitors, Mr. Rogers has been a tireless spokesman and advocate for agriculture programs and education at Virginia Tech. Mr. Rogers is also a member of the advisory council for the Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results program, an adult agriculture leadership program at Virginia Tech.

In addition to his roles with VDACS and Virginia Tech, Rogers has also been a member of the Colonial Farm Credit Board since 1982, and is an active member of the Virginia Cotton Board, the Virginia Agriculture Council, the Virginia Peanut Growers Association, the Peanut Standards Board, and the Virginia Crop Improvement Association.

Virginia Agribusiness Council Board member, Clay Roberts, commented during the presentation, “Paul has been a great asset to the agribusiness industry in Virginia through his thoughtful contributions and leadership.” He went on to say, “I am honored to present to him the Virginia Agribusiness Council’s 2013 Distinguished Service Award.”

The Virginia Agribusiness Council represents agricultural and forestry producers, suppliers, marketers, processors and commodity associations in the Commonwealth with a unified voice through its government affairs activities. The Council has a combined membership of over 40,000. For information on the council, visit www.va-agribusiness.org