Wisconsin State Capitol (Baylor Spears | Wisconsin Examiner)

Former state Rep. Betty Jo Nelsen, who died on Oct. 17 at the age of 89, is being honored Monday with flags in Wisconsin being flown at half-staff.

Gov. Tony Evers issued the order last week, calling the former Republican representative “an exceptional example of a dedicated public servant, making history as the first woman to serve as minority leader in the history of our state legislature.”

Nelsen was first elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1979 after winning a special election to represent  parts of northeastern suburbs of Milwaukee and served for six terms before resigning. During her time in the Legislature, she was elected in 1987 to serve as Assembly minority leader, making her the first woman to serve in the position. She also served on the Joint Finance Committee. 

“In the weeks since her passing, our thoughts are with former Rep. Nelsen’s husband, Jim, her children, grandchildren, and all her loved ones as they mourn her loss and celebrate her incredible legacy,” Evers said in a statement. Funeral services for Nelsen are being held Monday in Milwaukee.

Nelsen resigned from the Assembly in 1990 to take up a position in former President George H.W. Bush’s administration as the administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service inside the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 1992, she was nominated to serve as the assistant secretary of agriculture for food and consumer services. 

Following her time in the federal government, Nelsen returned to Wisconsin and was appointed by former Gov. Tommy Thompson to serve on the state Natural Resources Board. In addition to her years in government, Nelsen served her community in leadership positions at other organizations including Future Milwaukee, United Community Services, United Way, Girl Scouts of the USA and Junior League of Milwaukee.

“Known for a passion for public service and devotion to the well-being of her family, Betty Jo was an unapologetic but humble leader and trailblazer, driven by her concern for others and guided by high moral standards not often seen today,” Nelsen’s obituary states. “She always pushed for her own personal excellence and accountability, yet when achieved, she simply refused to discuss her roles, accomplishments, and awards. Instead, she quickly pivoted to a focus on YOU!”

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Additional Promotions Also Announced

Farm Foundation, an accelerator of practical solutions for agriculture, is pleased to announce that Timothy Brennan has been selected as their vice president of programs and strategic impact, a new role reflecting the increased emphasis on prioritizing work with clearly defined impact.  

“Tim brings both breadth and depth to this role,” said Farm Foundation President and CEO Shari Rogge-Fidler. Brennan, who comes from an Ohio farm family and maintains his own hobby farm south of Chicago, joined Farm Foundation nearly 12 years ago to manage external relations. Brennan previously served in a variety of externally facing roles at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.  Brennan also currently serves as the co-chair of the Chicago Wilderness Growing with Agriculture Green Vision Goal which seeks to bring conservationists and farmers together to protect and improve land in the states surrounding Lake Michigan.  

“As Farm Foundation continues to build on our past and expand our programs at our new Innovation and Education Campus (IEC) at our farm just outside of Chicago, Tim’s experience in fundraising, innovation, and coalition building makes him ideally suited for this role” said Rogge-Fidler.   

“I am thrilled for this opportunity,” Brennan said.  He goes on to say that “the Innovation and Education Center allows us to bring our programs and projects to life in new and exciting ways. Even though we are a 91-year-old organization, we have the spirit and drive of a start-up that fosters an exhilarating, enabling environment focused on real-world impact.” 

Additional Promotions Announced

Two additional promotions will bolster the next chapter of growth and impact at Farm Foundation.  Morgan Craven has been named as the director of programs and events, and Dr. Amanda L. Martin has been designated the new senior director of external relations.  

Craven came to Farm Foundation in 2015 as the events manager, then moved into the senior manager of events role before her latest promotion. Prior to joining the Farm Foundation team, Morgan served as the conference and events manager at Trinity Christian College and as a premium hospitality game-day staff member for the Chicago Bears NFL team. Craven also worked at various Hilton brand properties furthering her hospitality experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, in recreation, sports leadership, and tourism management. 

Martin joined the team in 2022 and has an extensive career in agriculture and higher education. Working within the colleges of agriculture at Auburn University and Louisiana State University, Martin most recently served as an assistant dean at LSU. Prior to making the move to Farm Foundation, Martin worked with the executive team at the American Egg Board. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at Louisiana State University and holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Agribusiness Economics. She currently serves as one of ten members selected to the National Agriculture Future of America Alliance Advisory Council. 

For over 90 years, Farm Foundation has been a pioneering force in agriculture, consistently leading the charge in developing ideas and fostering conversations that champion farmers and the agricultural community. In 2022, Farm Foundation took a bold step forward by becoming place-based, acquiring a century farm to deepen the understanding and experience of farming. This farm, alongside the Innovation and Education Center, will serve as the national headquarters for the organization.  

With this strategic addition, the latest innovations in agriculture, conservation, and technology will have a dedicated space to be showcased, allowing Farm Foundation to collaborate with stakeholders across the food and agriculture sectors in advancing the people and ideas that will shape the future. Rather than functioning as a tourist attraction or a research facility, this farm will provide agriculture leaders with authentic on-farm experiences through new programs. 

The Farm Foundation Innovation and Education Center (IEC) was officially opened on September 28^th with a public celebration that included food tasting stations, high-tech agriculture demonstrations and site tours.  The IEC is a state-of-the-art facility supporting a variety of uses, including gathering program participants to collaborate, community building, and engagement. There are also conservation projects, a variety of crops, and historic buildings on the campus.  

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