Randy Romanski, center, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), speaks at UW-River Falls in September 2022 as university faculty members Kurt Vogel, left, and Steve Kelm, right, listen. Romanski will be the keynote speaker at the annual Rod Nilsestuen Legacy Event at the university on Oct. 30. UWRF file photo.

UW-River Falls to host Rod Nilsestuen Legacy Event Oct. 30

DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski featured speaker at annual event

Oct. 25, 2024 – The University of Wisconsin-River Falls will welcome Randy Romanski, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and UWRF alum, as the featured speaker for the 13th annual Rod Nilsestuen Legacy Event on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

The free event, hosted annually by UWRF, is from 2-3 p.m.  in the Kinnickinnic Theater in the University Center, 501 Wild Rose Ave., River Falls. 

During his speech, Romanski will address the health of Wisconsin’s agricultural sector and relevant policy options to address challenges in the ag industry

The public is invited. The event can also be viewed via livestream at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpcOyhrTMoGtVwfo95iKKQTYINDbpNFtm4#/registration.

Romanski has served as DATCP secretary since November 2019. Previously, he was deputy secretary for Gov. Tony Evers and both secretary and deputy secretary for former Gov. Jim Doyle.

As DATCP secretary, Romanski has focused on such issues as farmland preservation, local foods, the Farm to School program, and renewable energy. He earned his bachelor's degree in political science at UWRF and his master's degree in public policy and administration from the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison.

Nilsestuen was Wisconsin DATCP secretary at the time of his death in July 2010. He is remembered as a proud steward of sustainable agriculture and a leader in the national cooperative movement who strove to balance the needs of sustainable land use with the maximization of agricultural production.

Nilsestuen worked to find common ground on topics such as the power of cooperatives, farmland conservation, the future of rural America and the increased pressure on agriculture to feed the world.

The Rod Nilsestuen Fund was established by friends, family, colleagues, and several land conservation and cooperative organizations. It is part of the Ralph K. Morris Foundation, an organization that shares Nilsestuen’s dedication to cooperatives and leadership development.