Abbe honored for transportation leadership

Bruce Abbe, strategic adviser for trade and transportation for the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA), was presented with University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) William K. Smith Distinguished Service Award at its annual meeting last week, attended by a host of state transportation, university and business leaders.

Established in 2002, the William K. Smith Distinguished Service Award is presented to a private sector professional in the freight transportation and supply chain industry for their leadership in the field and their contributions to mentorship and education of future leaders. The award is named in honor of William K. Smith, who served on the initial committee to establish CTS and on many CTS research and education councils until his death in 2001. While Smith served for many years as a state and national leader at General Mills, he also taught classes at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management and installed a passion for learning and teaching in others.

The 2020 award was presented to Abbe in part for his many years of service on the executive committee of Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Minnesota Freight Advisory Committee (MFAC), representing the interests of agricultural shippers. Abbe stepped down as president and CEO of the Midwest Shippers Association in 2019. He is now CEO of Abbe Communications and Management Services, LLC, and serves as a consultant to SSGA.