The Irrigation Association celebrated the recipients of its 2015 Industry Awards on Nov. 12 at the Irrigation Show in Long Beach, California. This year’s winners are Lou Anella of Oklahoma State University, Guy Fipps of Texas A&M University, Mark Huntley of FH Consulting and Brian Vinchesi of Irrigation Consulting. The Partner of the Year is the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska.
Industry Achievement Award
Brian Vinchesi, founder of Irrigation Consulting in Massachusetts, won the Industry Achievement Award for his exceptional leadership with the Smart Water Application Technologies Initiative and the Irrigation Association’s Standards and Codes Committee.
Vinchesi’s involvement has led to the development of testing protocols, standards and codes, according to the IA.
Vinchesi founded Irrigation Consulting in 1988 and specializes in irrigation consulting and design firms. He has taught turf management at the University of Massachusetts, Rutgers and Ohio State. He has also served as president of the Irrigation Association and the American Society of Irrigation Consultants. He has taught courses for the IA, universities, the National Association of Landscape Professionals and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
“In all of the things I’ve done over the years, I feel I have gotten a lot more from this industry than I’ve given,” he said. “The more you give, the more you get back.”
Excellence in Education Award
Lou Anella won the Excellence in Education Award for his work developing a key course on landscape irrigation that’s required for all landscape management, turf, public horticulture and landscape architecture majors at the university.
Anella serves on the IA Faculty Academy task group and has served on the Foundation Board of Trustees for the past five years.
Person of the Year Award
Guy Fipps is a globally recognized leader in irrigation technology and water conservation. His research and extension educational efforts have helped make major advancements in irrigation technologies.
Fipps has worked in Rwanda, Iraq, Libya, Burkina Faso, Afghanistan, China, Jordan, Russia and Chad, among others. His work spans all aspects of irrigation including water management, salinity management, river basin development and more.
Crawford Reed Memorial Award
Mark Huntley has helped grow the international drip irrigation market and has introduced new technologies by re-tooling equipment for new product lines and restricting material procurement to better meet changing global requirements.
During his time with T-Systems Europe SA, their business in Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa doubled. And when he was with TSI, global business grew by 70 percent.
Huntley has served on the IA Board of Directors and was president from 2010-2011.
Partner of the Year
The Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska won its award for its work on the Center Pivot Water Project to help produces achieve maximum efficiency.