Des Moines, Iowa – Agricultural teachers play an essential and selfless role in the communities they serve. As they prepare future generations for successful careers, many also devote countless hours and often their own resources to make a difference. To shed light on the contributions of Iowa’s leading agricultural teachers, Nationwide, insurer of farms and ranches in the U.S.1, is honoring seven exceptional teachers as finalists for its Golden Owl Award. Among the finalists is Brittany Elmquist, Ag Teacher for the Audubon High School.

In partnership with the Iowa FFA Foundation, Nationwide collected more than 400 nominations from local students, fellow teachers, parents and community members from August to December 2020.

Iowa’s 2020-2021 Golden Owl Award finalists are:

Dr. Michael Retallick – Iowa State University
Wyatt Forsyth – Wapsie Valley High School
Elisa Russ-Poggemiller – Clear Lake High School
Kylie Nettinga – Western Christian High School
Marcia Kilgard – Iowa Valley High School
Monty Collins – Pleasantville High School
Brittany Elmquist – Audubon High School

Each finalist will receive an individualized plaque and $500 to help fund future educational efforts and will be entered into a final selection stage for the chance to be crowned as Iowa’s Ag Educator of the Year. In addition to the Ag Educator of the Year designation, the grand-prize winner will also receive a $3,000 Nationwide-funded check to help bring new educational opportunities to the program and its students and the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy.

Nationwide’s agribusiness president, Brad Liggett said  “We created the Golden Owl Award in 2018 to honor the contributions of teachers, highlight the growing need for their services, and supply additional resources to help boost their programs and provide students with optimal learning experiences.”

In the award’s second year, Nationwide broadened the program from two states to five, recognizing the efforts of 31 agricultural teachers across California, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania with the 2019-2020 Golden Owl Award. As a result of the positive response from the communities that Golden Owl Award nominees make a difference in, Nationwide expanded the 2020-2021 Golden Owl Award even further to include Indiana and New York. Nationwide is also investing $5,000 in each participating state’s FFA organization, including the Iowa FFA Foundation, to further support aspiring agriculture professionals.

To learn more about the Golden Owl Award, visit www.GoldenOwlAward.com.