Chris Boomsma

Chris Boomsma has a diverse work experience in the field of agricultural science and technology. Chris is currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer at CAST (Council for Agricultural Science and Technology) since 2023. Prior to that, they worked as the Director of Science and Strategy at Decode 6 from 2022 to 2023. From 2017 to 2023, they held the position of Director of Education at The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, & Soil Science Society of America. Before that, they were the Managing Director of Automated Field Phenotyping and Trait Development at Purdue University from 2015 to 2017. Chris also worked at Dow AgroSciences from 2009 to 2015, where they held various roles including Agronomic Traits Product Characterization Leader, Area of Adaptation Development Leader, and Product Development Agronomist and Crop Physiologist. Furthermore, they have previous experience as a Graduate Research Fellow, Teaching Assistant, and Extension/Outreach Assistant at Purdue University, as well as an Environmental Science Research Assistant at Argonne National Laboratory. Chris started their career as a Teaching Assistant and Tutor at Dordt University and also worked as a Crop Physiology Research Intern at Pioneer Seed Company.

Chris Boomsma has a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Agronomy and Crop Physiology from Purdue University. They also have a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Plant Sciences from Dordt University. Chris has completed the Indiana Agriculture Leadership Program (ALP) from AgrIInstitute and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Management Series in Leadership and Development from Purdue University. They have also completed the Applied Management Principles (AMP) Program from Purdue University Daniels School of Business and the Field Crops Seed Business 101 Training Program from the University of California, Davis. Additionally, Chris holds a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. They have several certifications including Certified Crop Adviser (CCA), Certified Crop Adviser Precision Agriculture Specialty (PASp), Certified Crop Adviser Sustainability Specialty (SSp), Certified Professional Agronomist (CPAg), Digital Event Strategist (DES), and Qualified Association Specialist (QAS).