Open to all Active Members.

Presented to a Saskatchewan agrologists who has rendered special service or made a significant contribution to the betterment of the Institute and profession.

Open to any organization.

Presented to organizations, agencies or businesses in recognition of outstanding contribution to agriculture, bioresources, food or the environment in Saskatchewan by providing professional services of Professional Agrologists and Technical Agrologists.

Renny Grilz PAg

Renny started his career as a Professional Agrologist working in natural resource management while studying at the University of Saskatchewan from 1993 to 1997. During the summers he worked as the College of Agriculture’s range program technician managing grasslands, killing invasive species, conducting prescribed burns, and assisting in research projects. Today Renny is the Resource Management Officer for the Meewasin Valley Authority. In this role, he conducts multi-agency prescribed fires, spraying the dastardly European Buckthorn, and teaching professionals and the public of Saskatoon and area the value of working together to manage a resource that benefits many different groups. Collaborating with others has long been part of Renny’s professional life. He is a long-time member of the Society for Range Management, and an active member of the Saskatoon Nature Society and the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan where he is helping with the development of the group’s Master Naturalist program. Renny is an excellent ambassador for the SIA and he continues to take the time to mentor and inspire young professionals.

John Spencer PAg

John has been a proud Professional Agrologist (PAg) for more than 40 years. Throughout his career, he has worked with the Federal and Provincial governments, Crown corporations and agencies, and numerous farmers and companies. Today John is a consulting agrologist specializing in agricultural finance, applied economics, and human resource development. As a proud ambassador, he enjoys giving back to the profession. He volunteered on the SIA Articling Committee, Professional Development Committee, and has been the chair of the Discipline Committee for the past eight years. He sat on the Saskatoon Branch Executive in the roles of President, President-Elect, Past-President and Provincial Councillor. John has mentored and continues to mentor and educated hundreds of agrolgists. He has developed and remains the facilitator several workshops and courses for the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists. As a powerful motivational speaker, he has presented to groups, clubs and at conferences throughout Saskatchewan and as far away as Australia and his messages have reached more than 10,000 people.

Richardson Pioneer

Richardson Pioneer is a division of Richardson International – a global leader in agriculture and food processing. The company supports Canadian farmers by providing agronomic services and advice, selling crop inputs, buying their crops at harvest, and selling to markets around the world. Their goal – to ensure their customers have the best products and advice to support the best yield possible. The company culture encourages development and ongoing education of employees. They understand the importance of providing the tools people need to help them work, learn, and make an impact. With a legacy of service going back 160 years, Richardson Pioneer is recognized as one of Canada’s best managed companies. They are also one of Saskatchewan’s top employers of agrologists. With more than 50 agrologists working in the province, they are committed to hiring and training professionals.

Dianna Emperingham

Dianna’s background is in the input side of agriculture. While she is not an Agrologist, she fully supports her team members in their activities inside the SIA. The majority of her career was spent with Bayer CropScience, where she helped develop and launch the strategic vision for the Regina manufacturing site. She also worked for the company internationally, honing her experience in procurement, manufacturing and warehousing, supply chains, business analytics, project management and customer relations. Since 2019, Dianna has been with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture in the role of Executive Director of the Crops and Irrigation Branch. She leads a dynamic team of Professional Agrologists, Engineers, and administrative staff. The Crops and Irrigation Branch supports growth in the primary agriculture sector, fosters the agriculture sector’s long-term resilience of the natural landscape to support a healthy environment, and promotes public trust. Dianna was responsible for the complete reworking of the Branch organizational structure, changing not only the way the teams are structured, but the “Why” and “How” behind what the teams do.  In a very short time Dianna has built a culture of performance and client-based service. Dianna exemplifies the Ministry’s values of Innovation, Teamwork, Integrity, Service Excellence, and Leadership. Her passion is developing people and teams, with a focus on what inspires each person to be the best they can be so that collectively they can best serve their agriculture clients and stakeholders.