UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- David Geise of Milton, Pa., is one of five recipients of 2001 Outstanding Alumni Awards from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The award highlights distinguished graduates of the college and creates opportunities for interaction between alumni, students and faculty.

Geise is president and CEO of Furman Foods Inc. of Northumberland, Pa., an 80-year-old company that is the largest family-owned tomato processor in the eastern United States, processing more than 7 million cases of product annually. He has been with the company since 1968 and has been president since 1977.

Geise is on the board of directors and on the executive committee of the National Food Processors Association (NFPA) and has served on the association's Federal Issues Committee. He's also served as chairman and held several other leadership positions within the Pennsylvania Food Processors Association. He currently is on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Food Industry Alliance.

Geise is a member of the Harrisburg subcommittee of the Penn State Food Science Facilities Committee and is past president and a current member of the board of directors of the Central Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce. He lectured at the 1999 Penn State Ag Business Executive Program sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State's Smeal College of Business Administration.

Geise serves as a church leader and Sunday School teacher. He is a 1964 graduate of Northumberland High School and received a bachelor's degree in horticulture from Penn State in 1968.

In conjunction with receiving the award, Geise will travel to Penn State's University Park campus this fall to visit with students, faculty, staff and administrators.

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EDITORS: For more information, contact Jillian Stevenson at 814-863-2831.

Contacts:

Gary Abdullah gxa2@psu.edu 814-863-2708 814-865-1068 fax