New Beginnings
PRESIDENTIAL PARADIGMS
Charles Wilfong , President , West Virginia Farm Bureau
It seems winter has arrived . I was hoping the warmth of December would extend into the New Year , but I guess I really knew better . Just think , though – we are only two months away from the official start of spring ! As a farmer , I always look forward to spring and the beginning of another growing season .
But , back to the present . We have a lot of things to take care of between now and springtime , not only on our farms , but also on the legislative front . The West Virginia legislative session will take up much of the time between now and spring . We have a number of important issues to be addressed during the session . As always , our policies which were approved by the delegates at our WVFB Annual Meeting will be our guide . This magazine issue is a complete text of those policies . We also have a list of priority issues that your WVFB board voted to focus on . I believe our organization ’ s policy positions are well thought-out and express our stand on issues in a very straightforward manner . I applaud the work of so many of our members for helping to formulate these policies . Now is the time to work for implementation of these policies as much as possible . We hope this legislative session will give us the opportunity to do that .
Don ’ s departure has led to a search for a new Director of Government Affairs . We are pleased to announce that Dwayne O ’ Dell has joined the WVFB team in that position . Dwayne comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience about agriculture and the issues important to us . He , too , had early experience as an ag teacher before joining the Department of Agriculture , where he spent the last 30 years in a variety of positions . He also has first-hand knowledge of agriculture , being involved in his family ’ s operation . Dwayne is a man of honesty and integrity and will fit in well at Farm Bureau .
Let me again invite and encourage you to attend our Day at the Legislature and Taste of West Virginia Reception in Charleston on February 9 . This is an excellent opportunity to let our legislators know what is important to us , as well as a good chance to get acquainted with Dwayne . Hope to see you there !
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Over the past several years , our lobbying efforts in Charleston have been led by Don Michael , who served as our Director of Governmental Affairs . Don has been a tremendous asset to West Virginia Farm Bureau . He has represented our interests exceptionally well . Don decided to retire at the end of 2015 . He devoted a big part of his life in service to agriculture , first as an ag teacher . Don then spent three decades in the West Virginia Department of Education , much of that time as state supervisor of vocational ag and state FFA advisor , before coming to work for Farm Bureau . He has been and continues to be an inspiration and mentor to so many . I wish my dear friends Don and his wife Phyllis all the best .
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