and the official US and EU delegations to discuss the industry's interest in the ongoing Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations. Leadership ASTA is driven by its membership, which is represented by a board of directors composed of a 15-member executive committee, all past-presidents of the association, division chairs, up to three directors-at-large, chairs of the International and Legislative & Legal Concerns Committees, and ASTA representatives to the Canadian Seed Trade Association and Mexican Seed Trade Association. The executive committee is composed of the association’s president, first vice president and second vice president; three most recent past-presidents; regional vice presidents, representing U.S. northeast, southeast, southern, central, north central, northwestern and western regions; and vice presidents from Canada and Mexico. The current chairman of the ASTA Board is Wayne Gale of Stokes Seeds. Andrew W. LaVigne has been the president and chief executive officer of ASTA since 2005. Annual meetings ASTA hosts several industry meetings every year: The Corn & Sorghum Seed Research Conference (CSS); Soybean Seed Research Conference: and Seed Expo First held in the mid-1900s, ASTA’s annual CSS & Seed Expo draws seed breeders, growers and distributors and seed equipment manufacturers to Chicago each December for a major sales and information exchange. The Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference For over 50 years, produce and floral seed industry professionals have been meeting each January – in various Southern and Western resort locations – to exchange research information, to discuss policies and regulations, and to sell and purchase seed. Farm & Lawn Seed Conference ASTA’s annual fall conference in Kansas City is held in conjunction with the Western Seed Association’s annual meeting. References External links Seed associations Agricultural organizations based in the United States Organizations established in 1883 1883 establishments in the United States