Contact: Casey Langan, Executive Director of Public Relations, 608.828.5711
WISCONSIN DELLS—Bill Bruins was reelected president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation by its board of directors at the close of the organization’s 92nd Annual Meeting in Wisconsin Dells on Monday.
Bruins, who is a dairy farmer from Waupun in Fond du Lac County, was first elected WFBF president in 2003. Earlier this year Bruins was appointed by Governor Scott Walker as a member of the state Natural Resources Board.
Richard Gorder, a dairy farmer from Mineral Point in Iowa County, was elected vice president.
Nine of the 11 members of the WFBF board of directors are farmers elected in each of Farm Bureau’s nine districts. These nine individuals also make up the board of directors for the Rural Mutual Insurance Company. Rounding out the WFBF board are the chairs of WFBF’s Young Farmer and Agriculturist, and Women’s committees, both of which serve a one-year term on the board.
Jerry Bradley, a corn and soybean grower from Sun Prairie in Dane County was reelected to a three-year term representing District 2 (Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Rock and Sauk counties).
Joe Bragger, a dairy farmer from Independence, was reelected in District 4 (Buffalo, Eau Claire, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe and Trempealeau counties).
Rosie Lisowe, a dairy farmer from Chilton, was elected to represent District 6 (Calumet, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Brown, Kewaunee and Door counties). Lisowe succeeds Lloyd DeRuyter of Cedar Grove. She formerly served as the chair of the state Women’s Committee.
Kathleen Papcke of Elkhorn was elected as the new Women’s Committee chair.
Josh Calaway of Vesper was elected chair of the Young Farmer and Agriculturist Committee.
Both Papcke and Calaway will serve one-year terms on the WFBF board.
Other Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Board Directors who were not up for reelection included: Dave Daniels of Union Grove, Wayne Staidl of Peshtigo, Don Radtke of Merrill, and Jim Holte of Elk Mound.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing farms of all sizes, commodities and management styles. WFBF provides legislative representation, public relations, leadership development and services to farmers across the state.
