PanAmerican Seed is proud to share the news that breeder Dr. Ellen Leue has been awarded the Distinguished Industry Achievement Award by the American Society for Horticultural Science. This is a very prestigious merit and hasn't been awarded since 2014!
As a result of her many years of dedication and commitment to her profession, Ellen pushed past breeding obstacles to improve seed quality and help PanAmerican Seed meet higher standards. She has led breeding projects on more than 25 different species of flowers and vegetables, including many important bedding plants currently in the marketplace. Most recently she developed innovative vegetables and herbs for home gardens and local fresh markets -- many of which have one All-America Selections awards.
Throughout her career with PanAmerican Seed, Ellen shared her love of plants. She was in her element when in a greenhouse or walking a field trial. This passion was contagious, and it was impossible to be around Ellen without getting caught up in the enthusiasm she had for her crops and her work.
"Ellen is a scientist who is impatiently patient," says PanAmerican Seed President Anne Leventry. "She could work for years on a product and keep tackling challenge after challenge without losing sight of the vision of what that product could be. And yet, she would get frustrated at how long things took and would push boundaries to do things faster and better to achieve the goal more quickly. This perseverance was amazing to observe and is one of the traits that put her in such an elite group of breeders receiving this award."
Congratulations, Ellen! This award is well-deserved. Many thanks to you from all of us who have been fortunate enough to work with you, have learned from you, and been inspired by you.
