CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS, US — Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) life member Robert Waltz was recognized by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) with the Ambassador’s Circle Award.
The Ambassador’s Circle Award recognizes dedication and distinguished service in support of NASDA.
Waltz, retired seed commissioner with the Office of the Indiana State Chemist, has been involved with NASDA for many years. The association has been a big part of his professional life since the early 1990s, when he began attending on occasion in association with the National Plant Board System, where he worked primarily on communicating pest issues in the central United States and invasive species nationally.
From 2008 and 2019, Waltz supported the partnership between AAFCO and NASDA with projects that include:
- NASDA Preventive Controls for Animal Food steering and implementation groups, which he co-chaired with Bob Ehart, 2017 to 2019;
- NASDA FDA grant to prepare national state implementation plan, December 2016 to 2018; and
- NASDA Technical Working Group, FDA Produce Safety Rule Implementation, Chapter 1–text draft initiator, NASDA Produce Safety Implementation Strategy for the States beginning in 2015.
In his 14 years with AAFCO, Waltz was AAFCO president, board member, committee chair, and liaison to multiple external organizations. He represented AAFCO as an active member of the Partnership for Food Protection, Association of American Plant Food Control Officials, and Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance, the association said.
AAFCO is a voluntary membership association of local, state, and federal agencies. Its members are charged by their local, state, or federal laws to regulate the sale and distribution of animal feeds and animal drug remedies. AAFCO is a non-profit corporation featuring a process for defining ingredients used in animal feed and pet food; a forum where state agencies, federal agencies, and industry develop uniform language that states may adopt or reference in laws; and two meetings per year that include specialized trainings for members and industry.
