Brunkhorst receives Employee of the Year Award

Nebraska Corn Board's director of research, Kelly Brunkhorst, was recognized today as Employee of the Year for Nebraska’s State Employee Recognition Month.
In a special ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda, employees and supervisors/managers were honored for their outstanding achievement at the 2010 Governor’s Employee and Supervisor/Manager of the Year ceremony and awarded with a special plaque.

Since 1985, the State of Nebraska has sponsored a statewide recognition program where the Governor honored state employees for outstanding achievements and dedication to state service. The Employee of the Year program recognizes employees whose job performance has exceeded the highest standards and contributed to the overall effectiveness of the agency.

“Kelly was recognized as he has developed a unique set of skill sets for analyzing specific data and reports that profoundly impact farming and renewable fuels in our state,” said Don Hutchens, executive director for the Nebraska Corn Board. “Few in state government have the knowledge base that he does regarding issues such as indirect land use, carbon footprints, greenhouse gas emissions, California’s Clean Air Resource Board, and Cap and Trade.”

As director of research, Brunkhorst manages the areas of animal nutrition, uses of corn, biotechnology, the molecular makeup of corn, and renewable fuels and how they impact the environment in a positive way. He has also become the in-house economist, with a unique eye for designing graphs, charts, and other data.

“It takes a strong dedication to understand the theory and science, and what constitutes the difference between them,” Hutchens said. “He is most deserving of this recognition.”