During the U.S. Soybean Export Council’s Annual Meeting, held March 10, the Board of Directors honored two individuals with the Core Values Award.

Angie Moody, director, program administration, won the employee award, and Iani Chihaia, country representative for Greater Europe and Romania, received the consultant award.

This award, given annually, honors staff and consultants who best demonstrate USSEC’s core values:

“Our core values are more than just words,” says USSEC CEO Jim Sutter. “These qualities are truly integral to how we operate. Each year, we ask our worldwide team to consider their peers and how they espouse these values.

“Angie and Iani were nominated and selected by their peers because they not only provide their respective teams with leadership and guidance, but they also demonstrate the true value of U.S. Soy to our customers — U.S. Soy is not just a high-quality product, it’s the people who stand behind it.”

Both Moody and Chihaia recognized the challenges faced by the U.S. Soy industry during the COVID-19 pandemic and pivoted their approaches accordingly.

“USSEC succeeded in 2020 to turn challenges into opportunities” by continuing to reach out to customers through non-traditional channels, said Chihaia, adding, “let us make 2021 another year of success for USSEC.”

Moody’s comments aligned, encouraging team members to constantly scan the horizon and look for new opportunities.

“COVID has reminded me that we must be bold and unafraid to do things differently and challenge the status quo,” said Moody.