ISU president named to America’s Cultivation Corridor
America’s Cultivation Corridor announced that David Cook, president of Iowa State University, has been elected to its board of directors, effective April 13.
Cook will also serve as secretary of the board, joining the slate of board officers for the 2026-27 leadership term. Todd Frazier, vice president of U.S. marketing at Corteva Agriscience, will serve as the chair of the board of directors. Tom Mangan, president and CEO of Sukup Manufacturing Co., will serve as vice chair, and Billi Hunt, executive director of America’s Cultivation Corridor, will serve as treasurer.
America’s Cultivation Corridor is a region for agricultural bioscience research, development and entrepreneurship, supported by innovation and leadership from Iowa’s individuals, organizations and companies. Investors and partners in the corridor are working together to accelerate the development of new technologies, strengthen Iowa’s ag bioscience workforce, attract economic development and connect the state’s leadership and resources with the world.
“At the heart of Iowa’s agricultural strength are partnerships and innovation, and America’s Cultivation Corridor plays a critical role in convening and connecting the key leaders and decision-makers to drive growth in our state and beyond,” Cook said. “I look forward to working with the corridor board and investor organizations to continue building a strong ecosystem for entrepreneurship and agricultural innovation.”
Stakeholder organizations of America’s Cultivation Corridor include Iowa State University, Corteva Agriscience, Deere & Company, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Iowa Pork Producers, KENT WORLDWIDE, MidAmerican Energy, Ames Economic Development Corporation, Iowa Corn Promotion Board, Chevron and Sukup Manufacturing Co. Iowa’s agriculture industry includes global leaders in all sectors—advanced manufacturing, agricultural processing, animal health, biobased processing and fuels, plant sciences, predictive agriculture and more—as well as startup companies with new technologies that will boost productivity, animal care and sustainability for farmers in Iowa and around the world.
More information is available at CultivationCorridor.org.
