Nutrients for Life Foundation Selects Harriet E. Wegmeyer as Executive Director

Industry Financial Commitment Stresses Importance of Initiative

Washington, D.C. – The Board of Directors of the Nutrients for Life Foundation has selected Harriet E. Wegmeyer to serve as its first full-time executive director. The Foundation, formed in 2004, strives to accurately inform policy makers, the press and the public about fertilizer and modern agriculture. Wegmeyer began her duties in mid-May.

“Harriet is keenly aware of the benefits of, and the challenges facing our great industry,” said Foundation President Ford B. West. “In her time with The Fertilizer Institute, Harriet has gained industry, public relations and management experience that enabled her to hit the ground running at the helm of the Foundation.”

Wegmeyer had served as the director of communications at The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) since 2002. Prior to that, she was employed at the U.S. Apple Association and Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative.

“The fertilizer industry is responsible for so much good – food, health and life – and I am proud to carry this message to the masses,” said Wegmeyer. “With so few people connected to food production, many have little appreciation for the importance of fertilizer nutrients. The Foundation has a tall order to fill, but with the commitment from the industry we are well-positioned to leave an impact.”

Wegmeyer takes the helm from TFI Vice President of Public Affairs Kathy Mathers, who had since the Foundation’s formation in 2004, split her time between managing Foundation and TFI’s public communication activities.

Industry Commitment Underscores Importance
Leaders in the fertilizer industry have given a five-year financial commitment to the Foundation to help take the Foundation’s existing initiatives to the next level, help launch Nutrients for Life Foundation Canada and possibly other international education foundations.

“The fertilizer industry must stand united in its efforts to tell the tremendous story of plant nutrition and its impact on mankind,” said PotashCorp President and CEO and Foundation Chairman William J. Doyle. “The Foundation is growing to be a trusted resource for promoting the benefits of fertilizers to create understanding for environmental, social and economic sustainability.”

The Foundation has a host of tools available to industry members and teachers to help educate people about the benefits of fertilizers, including the Foundation’s standards-based middle and high school curriculum supplements, which have been distributed to more than 3,000 teachers nationwide.

Nutrients for Life Foundation is a tax-exempt organization as described in Section 501( c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is incorporated in the State of Delaware. The Foundation was formed to disseminate educational information to the general public, including policy makers, about fertilizers, modern agriculture and the role plant nutrients serve in improving people's lives.