Tim Rostad with ProAg’s President and CEO, Kendall Jones

ProAg Director of Software Development Tim Rostad has something in common with our country’s most recent Olympic athletes: They play for the name on the front of their jersey. But instead of earning a gold medal in Paris, Tim was recognized with the 2024 Front of the Jersey Leadership Award at the annual ProAg Leadership Training Camp.

“Tim’s contributions have had a profound impact on our company,” said ProAg President and CEO Kendall Jones. “He is a truly deserving teammate.”

Now in its third year, the ProAg Front of the Jersey Leadership Award was inspired by the “Miracle on Ice” during the 1980 Winter Olympics. After losing to the Soviet Union hockey team 10-3 at Madison Square Gardens in the final warm-up game before the Olympics, U.S. Head Coach Herb Brooks rallied the team around the idea that the name on the front of their jerseys was more important than any personal glory as they set forth to meet their most formidable foe. Then, against all odds, the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team won against the heavily favored, four-time defending gold medalist Soviet Union during the Olympic medal round, allowing them to advance to win the gold medal.

The award is given annually to a ProAg team member who works across departments and puts the needs of the organization first. To be considered, team members must:

  • Demonstrate a desire to put the needs of the organization ahead of individual needs.
  • Model a collaborative, team-oriented leadership approach.

Tim Rostad was nominated for his seamless collaboration with product and business teams to create high-quality products within cost and time constraints. His nominators highlighted how he proactively engages with partners to resolve complex problems, is skilled in conflict resolution and prioritizes organizational needs.

“I want to thank you all for selecting me for the Front of the Jersey award this year. It was a huge surprise — completely unexpected —  and very much appreciated,” Rostad said. “This would not have been possible without the help of others who were involved in the cross-department and cross-functional-area collaboration that we’ve done and continue to do.”

Tim received the ProAg Front of the Jersey Leadership Award during the 2024 Leadership Training Camp. The annual meeting brings together more than 75 ProAg leaders to continue to develop the capability to lead well, align around our strategic vision and goals and develop relationships grounded in trust. As a result, ProAg can solve problems collaboratively across departments and address existing challenges together as a healthy, productive team.

The 2024 ProAg Leadership Training Camp theme was “Radically Accountable Together.” During the camp, the team determined the following areas of focus for the organization:

  • Increase personal and cross-departmental ownership.
  • Increase cross-departmental effectiveness.
  • Increase personal effectiveness to serve customers better.

The top three ProAg leaders nominated for this award were:

  • Tim Rostad, Director of Software Development
  • Joel Block, Director of Customer Experience
  • Tony Gay, Senior Business Project Manager