CFAES Give Today
AEDE

Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics

CFAES

AEDE Alums Robert M. McClelland, Dr. Rodrigo A. Chaves and Joseph A. Shultz to be Honored by the CFAES Alumni Society

Feb. 27, 2013

On Saturday, March 2nd, AEDE alumni Robert M. McClelland, Dr. Rodrigo A. Chaves, and Joseph A. Shultz will be honored at an event organized by the Alumni Society of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).  Each year the Alumni Society recognizes CFAES alumni who have made significant contributions to the fields of food, agricultural and environmental sciences through their careers.

McClelland will receive a CFAES Distinguished Alumni Award, which gives public recognition to those who have brought distinction to themselves and the College through their participation, commitment, and leadership; Chaves will receive a CFAES International Alumni Award, which is presented to outstanding international agriculture alumni representing, supporting, and promoting the College and The Ohio State University around the globe; and Shultz will receive a CFAES Young Professional Achievement Award, which recognizes alumni for their early professional accomplishments.

McClelland received his BS in Agricultural Economics from AEDE in 1992. He is currently President and CEO of Farmer, Lumpe + McClelland (FLM+), a strategic marketing and communications company that serves clients who specialize in the business of agriculture and the life of rural communities. Since the company’s founding in 2006, FLM+ has become the fastest growing agribusiness marketing agency in the nation. The company was honored in 2012 by Inc. Magazine in its list of top 5000 fastest growing companies in the U.S.; also in 2012 FLM+ was ranked by Inc. Magazine as one of the 99th fastest growing marketing communications firms in the country. With his demonstrated success in go-to-market strategies, strategic business and market planning, and high growth entrepreneurial start-up and management acumen, McClelland is recognized as one of America’s most successful agribusiness leaders. He is an award-winning member of the National Agri-Marketing Association and continues to be involved with the Ohio State community, particularly through active participation with the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity.

Dr. Chaves received his PhD in Agricultural Economics from AEDE in 1994; additionally, he earned both his MA and BS in Economics from Ohio State. Chaves, who is a Costa Rican national, is currently the Sector Director for the World Bank’s Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Department, Latin America and the Caribbean Region, where he leads a team of about 130 professionals working in the subjects of public sector reform, fiscal policy, sub-national government, poverty reduction, gender, equity, international trade, economic policy, and macroeconomic analysis. He is internationally recognized for his extensive contributions to the public policy debate on public sector lending and technical assistance to developing countries, particularly in Latin America, East and Central Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe. In his 18 years at the World Bank he has worked in about 30 countries, including leading joint World Bank-International Monetary Fund Financial Sector Assessments of emerging market economies. He has published on macro and microeconomic issues, including financial markets, entrepreneurship, public sector, credit and investment, and rural development.

Shultz received his BS in Agribusiness and Applied Economics from AEDE in 2003. He is currently the Chief Economist for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and he has worked on agricultural, energy and environmental policy in Washington D.C. since 2005. In his role as Chief Economist for the Senate Agriculture Committee, Shultz was a principle architect of the reforms in the Senate farm bill of 2012; he also serves as the lead policy staffer for the Committee for all issues related to the federal budget, crop insurance, and disaster assistance policies. Shultz also works extensively with the academic community in the analysis and development of U.S. farm, food and energy policies. Prior to joining the Senate Agriculture Committee, Shultz worked for Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio where he served as the Senator’s primary advisor on legislative issues related to agriculture, energy, and the environment. Shultz was raised on a fourth generation family farm near DeGraff, Ohio in Logan County. 

Image credits: McClelland - FLM+, Chaves and Shultz - courtesy of the individuals.

February 27, 2013