News Release
Contact:
Billi Hunt, executive director
bhunt@cultivationcorridor.org
515-294-1127 or 515-480-2394
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2026
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT DAVID COOK NAMED TO AMERICA’S CULTIVATION CORRIDOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
DES MOINES, IOWA – America’s Cultivation Corridor announced that Dr. David Cook, President of Iowa State University, has been elected to its board of directors, effective April 13, 2026.
President 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 Chief Executive Officer 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 the premier region for agricultural bioscience research, development and entrepreneurship thanks to world class innovation and global leadership of 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,” said President Cook. “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 start-up 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, or by following on on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X.
America’s Cultivation Corridor
Focused on further developing and marketing the world-renowned agricultural and bioscience economy in Iowa, America’s Cultivation Corridor is building on a rich history of innovation to accelerate value-added agriculture business development by attracting companies, talent and capital from across the globe to the state. Representing a diverse public-private coalition of stakeholders including the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Ames Chamber of Commerce, Iowa State University, nonprofits and private sector companies from across the region and state, America’s Cultivation Corridor is one of the nation’s foremost cluster-based economic development organizations. For more information, visit CultivationCorridor.org.