The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman. Corrected Feb 3, 2017The Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors Foundation maintains and perpetuates the Dairy Hall of Honors in the Animal Science Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia. The MODHH Foundation provides an archive for the preservation of records and memorabilia of the Missouri dairy industry. The Foundation honors leaders related to the dairy industry with four annual awards.

The 2016 awards were presented at an awards luncheon on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus on January 27, 2017. A sold out crowd attended to celebrate the awardees.

The Meritorious Service Award recognizes and honors those individuals, usually in dairy related fields, who have rendered outstanding support and service to the Missouri diary industry. The 2016 award was presented to Dr. Alois (Al) F. Kertz.

Dr. Kertz has extensive experience in research and development of feed products and programs for all stages of a dairy cow’s life. He has done on-farm consulting and training of consultants both nationally and internationally.

He currently runs his own consulting firm, ANDHIL LLC, in St. Louis, Missouri, where he resides with his wife Molly. They have four adult children, Mary Frances Kertz Jones, Nicholas John Kertz, Julia Kertz Grant, and Emily Kertz Lampkin.

In addition to the impact his research and development skills has had on the dairy industry, Dr. Kertz received the award for his ability and willingness to communicate his expertise. He is a columnist for both Feedstuffs and Hoard’s Dariryman publications.

A recent project of interest that Kertz has become involved with is the Uganda Cow Project in the Masaka Diocese, Uganda, Africa. This project was designed to educate and assist thousands of local families to begin their journey out of poverty. The project’s five component commissions are 1) livestock, 2) sustainable agriculture, 3) environmental protection, 4) human health, and 5) human welfare.

Kertz has impacted the dairy industry through his activities in the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists and his leadership in the American Dairy Science Association, serving as president in 2014-2015. He currently serves as the president of FASS, formerly known as the Federation of Animal Science Societies.