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Rod Nilsestuen
Inducted 2003
Rod Nilsestuen is a true statesman
whose deep commitment to cooperatives and the people who own
them is legendary. He has advocated self-help cooperation as
a way for ordinary people to address their needs, and has worked
to build a sustainable infrastructure for co-op development,
education and innovation across the country.
A visionary, Nilsestuen was the founding chair of the National
Rural Cooperative Development Task Force, resulting in a major
federal investment in cooperative development and the creation
of hundreds of co-op development projects in our nation’s
communities. He also chaired the National Cooperative Business
Association, and held leadership posts on many national and
regional cooperative, government and university bodies.
Nilsestuen served as President and CEO of the Wisconsin Federation
of Cooperatives for 24 years, building it into one of the most
respected cooperative trade associations in the nation. His
efforts brought all Wisconsin co-op sectors together to produce
a strong, unified voice, and created a two-state alliance with
the Minnesota Association of Cooperatives. He also strengthened
the Midwest co-op community by spearheading the unification
of WFC and the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association, and
by helping to create the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Cooperative
Development Services, and the Midwest Dairy Marketing Initiative.
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