The World Food Prize Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Charles Sukup, former president and CEO and current board co-chair of Sukup Manufacturing Co., to the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
“We are honored to welcome Charles Sukup to our Board of Directors,” said Paul Schickler, Board Chair, World Food Prize Foundation. “Charles brings a lifetime of leadership in agricultural innovation, global perspective and a steadfast commitment to advancing food security. His deep expertise in engineering, family-business leadership and global market development will be invaluable as we work to expand impact, strengthen partnerships and further the legacy of Dr. Norman Borlaug.”
The Foundation Board of Directors assures the financial integrity of the Foundation by adopting the budget and assuring that the Foundation’s activities conform to that budget. The Board also selects Foundation officers—who serve on the Board— and the members of the Foundation’s Council of Advisors.
Sukup is a seasoned engineer and business leader with a distinguished career in agricultural manufacturing. He served for 25 years as president and CEO of Sukup Manufacturing Co. in Sheffield, Iowa. It is the world’s largest family-owned manufacturer of grain bins, dryers, and grain handling and storage equipment. He currently serves as co-chairman of the board of directors, continuing to provide strategic leadership and guidance to the company and the industry it serves.
“The World Food Prize is a truly global award that recognizes those who have contributed the most to feeding the world,” Sukup said. “It is a treasure which our company has supported from its early years. The World Food Prize Foundation not only recognizes contributors to food security but engages young people with its Youth Programs. This became very personal when our daughter participated in the Youth Institute and sat next to Norman Borlaug and a whole new world opened to her. The World Food Prize Foundation has provided hundreds of young people with an awareness, passion and opportunity to overcome hunger and sustainably feed the world. I am very honored to be part of this organization that highlights providing the most basic need—feeding a hungry world.”
Sukup has played a prominent leadership role across national, state and regional business and agricultural organizations. He has served as president of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), chair of the Iowa Association of Business & Industry (ABI), and chair of America’s Cultivation Corridor. In addition, he serves as a professor of practice at Iowa State University, collaborating with the next generation of engineers and industry leaders.
He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in agricultural engineering from Iowa State University and is a registered professional engineer. An inventor for 14 U. S. patents, he is a member of the National Academy of Engineering—one of the profession’s highest honors—for his leadership and contributions to agricultural manufacturing and innovation.