May 31, 2014 Amb. Kenneth Quinn
Presented by Governor Terry Branstad on May 31, Ambassador Quinn was only the 23rd recipient of the Iowa Medal, Iowa’s highest citizen award. Ambassador Quinn had been nominated for this exceptional honor by former Iowa Governor Robert D. Ray. Previous recipients of this award include President Herbert Hoover, Vice President Henry A. Wallace, Dr. Norman Borlaug, and John Ruan, Sr. In his remarks, Ambassador Quinn noted that the World Food Prize is the only organization in Iowa’s history to have all three of its top leaders receive the State’s highest honor. In bestowing the medal, former Governor Terry Brandstad said, “Ken personifies the characteristics and qualities that we Iowans strive to embody: integrity, philanthropy, and service.”