2022 Hall of Fame Inductees
The Alpha Gamma Rho Hall of Fame is to honor those brothers who have made outstanding contributions to the Fraternity, steadfast service in their professional work or exceptional service to mankind.
Bernie Staller
Bernie Staller was born April 4, 1943. In 1962, he was initiated into the Iota Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Brother Staller would go on to graduate with his bachelor's degree in agriculture education in 1965, and later his master’s degree, also in Agriculture Education.
Bernie started his career serving as the agribusiness instructor and FFA Advisor at Janesville-Parker High School for 11 years. During that time, enrollment in the agriculture education program grew from forty to five hundred students and expanded from one to five instructors.
He then joined the National FFA Foundation as the Assistant Executive Director in July 1977 and became the Executive Director on April 1, 1979. Brother Staller climbed his way to Chief Operating Officer (COO) for both the National FFA Organization and the National FFA Foundation, assuming this role on March 18, 1991.
As COO, Bernie guided the National FFA Organization out of a 15-year decline and stabilized the organization’s financial standing. He also improved staff and operations while expanding more services to state FFA Associations and local chapters. His tenure also includes the National FFA Organization’s relocation from Alexandria, VA, to Indianapolis in 1998.
Brother Staller also oversaw record-breaking levels of fundraising for 24 years as the Executive Director and then the COO. During his time at the National FFA Organization, the FFA Foundation raised more than $75 million in support of FFA and agricultural education. After 37 years, Bernie retired in 2004.
Brother Staller was recognized as the 2004 Agribusiness Leader of the Year by the National Agri-Marketing Association, received Honorary Recognition at the University of Wisconsin, the Honorary American Degree from the National FFA Organization, is an honorary member of Gamma Sigma Delta (the Honor Society of Agriculture), received the distinguished service award with the Wisconsin FFA Association, and many more special recognitions.
As an alumnus, Bernie was the Grand President in 2018 and has held many positions within the National Fraternity including Vice Grand President from 2016-2018, Educational Foundation Director, Educational Foundation Chair, Alumni Director at Iota Chapter, National Board Member and many more.
The Hall of Fame is to honor those Alpha Gamma Rho alumni who have made outstanding contributions to the Fraternity and/or outstanding service in their professional work and/or exceptional service to mankind. Inductees should be held in high esteem as other AGRs reflect the Brother’s stature.
Tim Heiller
Tim Heiller was born March 4, 1968. He was initiated into the Eta Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho at Iowa State University in 1987. Brother Heiller graduated with his bachelor's degree in animal science in 1990 and started his career with Elanco Animal Health.
During his time with Elanco, Tim recruited twenty-six new hires, eighteen of which were AGR men. He also oversaw creating, leading, and implementing the strategies within Elanco to coordinate the adoption of Payleen and Optaflexx with meat packers across the nation.
Brother Heiller now works for PIC as a Key Account Manager. In this position, he works on the company’s recruitment strategy and helps implement it at targeted campuses to assist with recruiting new college graduates.
Tim’s work with the Fraternity, specifically Eta Chapter, is described as “few can match.” As an alumnus, he started serving as the Eta Chapter Adviser in 1992. It wasn’t until 2014 that he retires from that position. During his time as the Eta Chapter Adviser, he influenced the lives of six hundred young men. Brother Heiller also led the chapter in adopting the National AGR Brotherhood Program.
During his 22 years as an Adviser, he also implemented an educational program for graduating seniors. This program helped collegiates at Eta Chapter better prepare themselves for life after college. The multi-session program provided lessons on assorted topics including “Financial 101,” giving back to local communities, churches and more.
He also took on two large renovation projects for the Eta Chapter House in 1992 and 2005, sitting on committees that focused on the re-design of the building and the fundraising for the project.
Brother Heiller also helped establish the “AGR Legacy Fund” in 2014. This fund, designed to provide scholarships to Eta Chapter collegiates based on their achievements in the classroom and leadership in the chapter, has provided more than $250,000 in scholarships to Eta Chapter brothers.
Brother Heiller currently serves as the Adviser Forum Coordinator for the National Fraternity.
For his hard work and dedication, Tim has been recognized as a Brother of the Century by AGR and recognized as the Outstanding Adviser award in 2015. He was inducted into the Iowa State Greek Hall of Fame in 2018 and received the Iowa State Order of the Knoll-Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2010. Brother Heiller has also received several awards within his local community and the state of Iowa.
The Hall of Fame is to honor those Alpha Gamma Rho alumni who have made outstanding contributions to the Fraternity and/or outstanding service in their professional work and/or exceptional service to mankind. Inductees should be held in high esteem as other AGRs reflect the Brother’s stature.
Past Hall of Fame Inductees
1974
1. Sleeter Bull, Ohio State University
2. Maynard H. Coe, University of Minnesota
3. Earl L. Butz, Purdue University
1976
4. J. Holmes Martin, University of Kentucky
5. J. Clyde Driggers, University of Florida
6. Nathan L. Rice, University of Illinois
1978
7. Frank E. Mullen, Iowa State University
8. David C. Pfendler, Purdue University
9. Paul K. Bresee, University of Illinois
1980
10. Emil M. Mrak, California
11. W. Elmo Baumann, Oklahoma State University
12. Harold R. McCulloch, Pennsylvania State University
1982
13. E. T. York, Auburn University
14. Clifford Hardin, Purdue University
1984
15. A. B. Hamilton, University of Maryland
16. A. B. Sawyer, University of Illinois
17. Don Paarlberg, Purdue University
1986
18. Russ Mawby, Michigan State University
19. Harold White, University of Georgia
20. Vern Freeman, Purdue University
21. Jerry Litton, University of Missouri
1988
22. Wallace Jerome, University of Minnesota
23. William B. Sayre, Iowa State University
24. Orville Redenbacher, Purdue University
1990
25. Lindley Finch, Iowa State University
26. True Morse, University of Missouri
27. Lee Morgan, University of Illinois
28. Ovid Bay, University of Missouri
1992
29. Doyle Conner, University of Florida
30. Ed Lidvall, Iowa State University
1994
31. L. Gene Lemon, University of Illinois
32. Herbert Plambeck, Iowa State University
1996
33. Dean C. DeCarli, University of California-Davis
34. Roland C. Ferguson, Iowa State University
35. Milton G. Soper, Cornell University
1998
36. John D. Fuqua, University of Florida
37. Loren K. Robinson, University of Western Illinois
38. Ivan K. Strickler, Kansas State University
2000
39. Dale Bruhn, University of Wisconsin-Madison
40. Karl E. Gardner, Purdue University
41. Ted A. Priebe, Purdue University
2002
42. Warren D. Nichols, Kansas State University
43. L.S. "Bill" Pope, Michigan State University
44. Thomas M. Sutherland, Colorado State University
45. Charles L. Thompson, Oklahoma State University
2006
46. Zane Akins, University of Missouri
47. Bobby N. Duck, University of Tennessee-Martin
48. Robert L. Oehrtman, Ohio State University
49. Gerald C. Puppe, North Dakota State University
2008
50. Gene L. Swackhamer, Purdue University
51. Marvin J. Walter, Iowa State University
52. J. Brent Hurd, University of Tennesse-Knoxville
2010
53. R. Kirby Barrick, Ohio State University
54. Jack Brown, North Dakota State University
55. Allan R. Johnson, North Dakota State University
56. Paul S. Weller, Jr., University of Maryland
2012
57. James C. Borel, Iowa State University
58. Doyle Jacklin, Washington State University
59. Charles Napier, University of Missouri
2014
60. Keith Bjerke, North Dakota State University
61. Ole Meland, California Polytechnic State University
62. David Van Wert, Iowa State University
2016
63. Erwin Clark, University of Vermont
64. Hale Moss, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
65. Loren Kruse, Kansas State University
66. Thad Kuhfuss, University of Illinois
2018
67. Bill Boehm, University of Wisconsin-River Falls
68. Jim Driscoll, Montana State University
69. Phil Josephson, University of Wisconsin-River Falls
2020
70. Jack Britt, Western Kentucky University
71. A. L. Hutson, Oklahoma State University
72. Glenn Stith, University of Kentucky
