Ben Brancel

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Ben Brancel
Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection
In office
January 3, 2011 – August 13, 2017
GovernorScott Walker
Preceded byRandy Romanski
Succeeded bySheila Harsdorf
Personal details
Born (1950-07-31) July 31, 1950 (age 73)
Portage, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
SpouseGail
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin–Platteville

Ben Brancel (born July 31, 1950) is a Wisconsin politician and former legislator who served as the Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture until his retirement in 2017.[1]

Born in Portage, Wisconsin, Brancel graduated from University of Wisconsin–Platteville. Brancel served on the town board and board of education. Brancel managed a dairy operation for 22 years and now runs a 290-acre family farm with his wife, son, and daughter-in-law. From 1987 until 1997, he served in the Wisconsin State Assembly representing District 42, and served as Speaker of the House.[2] In 1997, Brancel resigned from the Wisconsin Assembly to serve as Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection in Governor Tommy Thompson's administration. He served in that capacity until 2001.[3] In 2001, Brancel was appointed as director of the Wisconsin Farm Service Agency by the Bush Administration, where he served until early 2009.[4] Later that year, he served as the part-time state relations liaison for the University of Wisconsin-Madison's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

In January 2011, Brancel was appointed by Governor Scott Walker to serve as Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection Secretary once again.[5]

Notes

  1. ^ "DATCP Home Leadership".
  2. ^ "Brancel, Ben 1950". Wisconsin Historical Society. 1950-07-31. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  3. ^ "Wisconsin Initiatives". Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. Archived from the original on 2013-04-16. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  4. ^ http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/aug08_newsletter.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  5. ^ "Ben Brancel | Office of the Governor - Scott Walker". Archived from the original on 2016-07-14. Retrieved 2016-07-20.