2020 Pioneer Award

Doug Wilson

Doug Wilson was a leader during his time in the A.I. industry and agriculture. Doug graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Dairy Science. After graduating from ISU, he joined the Dairy Cattle Breeding Department at ABS, later becoming head of the department. In 1975, Doug became the Director of the Dairy Cattle Breeding Department at Midwest Breeders Cooperative, a GENEX predecessor. After progressing through multiple layers within GENEX and Cooperative Resources International (CRI), Doug became the Chief Operating Officer of GENEX (1999) and the Chief Executive Officer of CRI (2002). Doug retired from CRI in 2017.

Doug’s abilities have been recognized by the A.I. Industry by electing or appointing him into numerous roles, including Chairman of the NAAB Board, CDCB, and multiple dairy breed advisory committees.

Doug was instrumental in the development of the linear type evaluation system, leading the development and implementation across the industry. He provided guidance within the industry as it moved to a more science-based approach of collecting and evaluating trait types. As a result of his expertise and passion, he was asked to provide training and presentations on the linear type system in the USA and in other countries.

Doug was often considered a forward-thinker. He led an initiative to import semen from Europe, at a time when many within the industry didn’t approve. This allowed U.S. dairy farmers to access some of the top bulls in the world. This was especially helpful when some European programs had made tremendous improvements within their breeding programs. Doug was also an early adopter of the advantages of sexed semen and supported its commercial development. He aggressively worked to make this technology available to GENEX members, in turn leading to rapid implementation in breeding programs. Today, sorted semen is widely used across the U.S. and globally.

In the broader agriculture community, Doug has been a cooperative leader, serving on the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives for six years, including three years as President. He provided leadership to Iowa State University, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, the University of Minnesota, and the Wisconsin State Fair, among others. Doug also received numerous awards including the NAAB Distinguished Service Award, World Dairy Expo Industry Person of the Year, National Dairy Shrine Guest of Honor, and the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives, Cooperative Builder Award.

Doug’s visionary leadership and commitment to the development of the A.I. industry through genetic advancement and technology and his contributions to the whole of the A.I. and agriculture industries make him a deserving recipient of the NAAB Pioneer Award.