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Watne to Represent NDFU on Advisory Council

Posted: Mar 19, 2020

Mark Watne was recently designated to represent the North Dakota Farmers Union (NDFU) on the UGPTI Advisory Council.

Watne has served as president of NDFU since 2013. In that capacity, he serves as president of Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Company and Farmers Union Service Association, all headquartered in Jamestown.

Watne has a long history of Farmers Union involvement, first as a youth and young producer farming at Velva. In 1990, he was elected to the NDFU State Board of Directors. He served for six years and was also treasurer. In 1996, he began a 15-year career in Jamestown at the Farmers Union headquarters as a development specialist, agricultural strategist, and staff executive director. He has led the development of the organization's farmer-owned restaurants and other innovative ideas.

As president, he serves on the board of directors for the National Farmers Union and Farmers Union Enterprises. In 2018, he was appointed to USDA's Grain Inspection Advisory Committee for the Federal Grain Inspection Service.

Mark has been a board chairman for the Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives, located at North Dakota State University, and is currently a board member for First Community Credit Union, Jamestown.

Watne replaces Kayla Pulvermacher, former government relations director with NDFU, who is now an account executive/policy advisory with Clearwater Communications in Bismarck.

NDSU Dept 2880P.O. Box 6050Fargo, ND 58108-6050
(701)231-7767ndsu.ugpti@ndsu.edu