Ag Education and Workforce Development Council Members Named

Thursday, September 18, 2008 9:53 AM CDT

Rod Nilsestuen, secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), last week announced the appointment of Gary Olson as executive director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Education and Workforce Development Council.

This group was formed last April after Gov. Jim Doyle signed into law Wisconsin Act 223, which created the council. The council’s purpose is to help develop a qualified work force to support the state’s agricultural and food sector.

Al Herrman, manager of wholesale services at Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, addressed members of the DATCP board and said formation of the council represented “genuine recognition on the part of the Department of Public Instruction, the Wisconsin Technical College System, the UW-System, as well as state agencies and private industry.”

Herrman noted the “special efforts and counsel” of Representatives Al Ott (R-Forest Junction) and Brett Davis (R-Oregon), as well as Senator Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma). He also had special thanks for legislative aides Erin Ruby (in Ott’s office) and Joel Nilsestuen (in Vinehout’s office).

Olson

Olson has taught agricultural education in the Fort Atkinson School District for the past eight years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education from UW-Madison.

A member of the Army National Guard, Olson will begin his new job on Nov. 10 n after returning from his second tour of duty in Iraq. He will be reporting to Paul Dietmann, director of the Farm and Rural Services Bureau at DATCP.

“Gary comes to this post with a thorough understanding of what agricultural education needs today, and with the long view that such a post demands,” Nilsestuen said. “He’ll have an exceptional group of leaders in agriculture, business, and education to work with him and synthesize ideas from a broad array of backgrounds. We’re not here to compete with existing groups like the FFA or Ag in the Classroom, but to add to their efforts and continue to attract top talent to agriculture.”

Nilsestuen designated Dietmann to represent him on the council.

Other members are:

- Elizabeth Burmaster, state superintendent of Public Instruction

- Roberta Gassman, secretary of Workforce Development

- Richard Leinenkugel, secretary of Commerce

- Matt Frank, secretary of Natural Resources

- John Shutske, associate dean for Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension, UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and program leader for Agriculture and Natural Resources, UW-Extension

- Dan Clancy, director of the Wisconsin Technical College System

- David Williams, associate program leader for Agriculture and Natural Resources, UW-Extension

- Duane Ford, dean of the College of Business, Industry, Life Science, and Agriculture, UW-Platteville

- Karen Knox, president of Southwest Wisconsin College District, Fennimore

- William Brendel, dean of Agriculture, Apprenticeship and Technology, Western Technical College, La Crosse

- Brett Davis, 80th Assembly District representative

- Al Ott, 3rd Assembly District representative

- Paul Larson, agri-science instructor, Freedom High School

- Sam Skemp, general manager of Frontier FS Cooperative, Jefferson, and member of Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives board of directors

- Doug Wilson, chief executive officer of Cooperative Resources International, Shawano

- Gerry Mich, program coordinator, Wisconsin Family Forests Inc., Oshkosh

- Bliss Nicholson, The Bruce Co., Middleton

- Al Herrman, manager of wholesale services, Wisconsin Public Service Corp., Green Bay

- Shelly Mayer, member of the Board of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection

- David Gliniecki, agriculture and natural resources instructor, Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools

- Charles Hansen, guidance counselor, Plymouth Joint School District

- Richard Austin, school board member, Mineral Point Unified School District

- Gregory Peyer, district administrator, Randolph School District

- Darlene Arneson, director, Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom and Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation

- Connie Seefeldt, owner, Seefeldt Farms, Coleman, and member of Wisconsin Rural Economic Development Board, Marinette County Board and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

- John Petty, executive director, Wisconsin Agri-Service Association, Middleton

- Mark McPhail, agriculture director, McCain Foods, Lisle, Ill.

- Kath Muth, Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, Fond du Lac

- Cal Dalton, United WGP Ethanol, Pardeeville

- Pam Jahnke, agricultural broadcaster, Midwest Family Broadcasting

- A few representatives remain to be appointed.

- Two state senators will be appointed to the council after the November election.

Several years ago Paul Larson, the ag education teacher at Freedom, came to a DATCP board meeting and detailed the need for such a council. “It was his vision, foresight and determination to shepherd this process that began with the Ag Education Summit in 2003. Paul recently received the Regional Outstanding Service Award from the National Association of Agricultural Educators,” Herrman said.

He also thanked Keith Gundlach, an agricultural education teacher at Randolph for his efforts to establish the Wisconsin Ag Education Foundation. Others who played key roles in launching the council include Dick Meske, who served as interim executive director; Jeff Hicken, Dept. of Public Instruction; and ag teachers Ralph Johnson and Ken Steering.

Herrman said Jim Gibson, who retired only last month from the WTC System, will continue to assist with fund raising for the council.

Frank Friar and David Erickson “were involved from the beginning and represented private industry,” Herrman added.

Purpose

The council is intended to help deal with current and anticipated shortfalls in the number of qualified employees on Wisconsin farms, as well veterinarians, crop and livestock consultants, feed and fuel suppliers, food processors, farm machinery manufactures and dealers, agricultural lenders, and all of the state’s agriculture and natural resources industries.

Its responsibilities will include increasing hiring and retention of well-qualified employees and promoting education for careers in agriculture, food and natural resources.

Herrman assured board members the council “is not an effort to take funding away from the Ag in the Classroom program, nor from the Wisconsin FFA Foundation nor from the Ag Coalition. “These groups are doing a great job and need our support to enhance their efforts. Neither is this an effort to take money or staff from one state agency or institution and move it to another.

Its first meeting will be in late October or early November.

The council will be funded through private donations from agribusinesses.

Its first meeting will be in late October or early November.

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