Bertels
Rejoins NCGA After Serving in Iraq (8-30-05)
Paul Bertels,
who returned from a tour of duty in Iraq two weeks ago, has rejoined
the National Corn Growers Association as director of biotechnology.
“I’m
looking forward to getting back into working for the corn growers,”
said Bertels, who formerly served as director of production and economic
analysis. He will continue to help the organization with economic
analysis.
“The biotechnology
position is a new challenge and one that I’m looking forward
to,” Bertels said. “The area is a rapidly growing industry
and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Bertels served
one year in Iraq as a division staff officer in the Multinational
Division Center South. He was based out of Ad Diwaniyah in southern
Iraq, approximately three hours south of Baghdad. Bertels is a member
of the Illinois National Guard.
Bertels said he
kept an eye on agriculture while he was in Iraq. He said he saw several
Iraqi farmers growing corn, wheat and alfalfa while raising cows,
sheep and camels.
“I really
tried to stay connected to farming,” he said. “I was really
interested to see how the Iraqi farmers worked their land.”