Colorado FFA Foundation to induct 2019 Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame Inductees
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The Colorado FFA Foundation will induct three more members into the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame on February 27, 2019. Mr. Jay Hickert, Akron, Mr. George “Buck” Hutchison, Englewood, and Mr. Dan Williams, Denver, will all be formally inducted into the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame in at the annual Hall of Fame Banquet.
“We are proud to add three more outstanding individuals to the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame, the applicant pool continues to be diverse, and very competitive. I am amazed at the significant contributions to agriculture that all of our nominees possess. “said Ed Cordes, Chairman of the Colorado FFA Foundation.
The Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame banquet is held in conjunction with the Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture and is a prime opportunity to gauge the direction of the industry and learn about issues facing one of the largest industries in Colorado. Industry and political leaders as well as family farmers and ranchers who lead and support the agriculture industry and its future attend both the forum and the banquet.
Friends, peers and business associates will recognize the four inductees during the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame Banquet, Feb. 27, 2019, at the Renaissance Hotel, Denver. The honorees will join 104 other outstanding Colorado agriculturists who have been similarly honored since 1989. All Agriculture Hall of Fame members’ portraits are displayed in the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame in the CoBank Center for Agricultural Education at Colorado State University.
Hosted by the Colorado FFA Foundation, the banquet is held yearly to induct members into the Agriculture Hall of Fame who have significantly contributed to Colorado’s second largest industry. A unique, multi-media presentation will highlight the life of each new inductee.
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Short biographies of the honorees are included below..
The Colorado FFA Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises funds to support the more than 7,000 FFA members in Colorado’s 112 chapters. FFA is a national organization of 610,240 members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture.
HALL OF FAME HONOREES
Dan Williams, Denver, Colorado
Dan, known to his friends as Danny, Williams is an Eagle County native who began his adult life raising sheep and cattle. In 1976, though, he turned his attention toward public service and became an Eagle County Commissioner. After two four-year terms, he was elected to the Colorado State House and served four two-year terms. In 1993, he founded the government relations consulting business, Williams+Simpson. During his 35+ years of legislative, state and local government experience he has become revered and highly respected for his ability to negotiate difficult pathways to find solutions so that agriculture, industry partners, and commerce can work together for the benefit of all. This is evidenced by his wide variety of clients, including Colorado Cattleman’s and Colorado Wool Growers, and the numerous and diverse organizations that recognized him as Legislator of the Year during his public service. Whether as an elected official or lobbyist, for over 40 years Williams has been an advocate for agriculture in Colorado.
George “Buck” Hutchison, Englewood, Colorado
After playing baseball at Florida State University George “Buck” Hutchison came home to the family’s lumber distributorship in Manchester, Iowa. In 1963, he created a western division in Denver and ever since, the recognizable HW logo has graced water tanks and gates on ranches and farms all across the West. Hutchison has served on the Executive Committee of the National Western since 1996 and has been instrumental in the success of the volunteer program, the scholarship trust, and the National Western Center project. While on the board, his passion has been supporting youth in agriculture. As chairman of the Junior Livestock Committee he has helped raise millions of dollars that have assisted over 1,900 junior exhibitors accomplish their educational goals. Hutchison has also served or is currently serving on many civic boards and associations, from the J.K. Mullen High School Board to the University of Colorado Physical Therapy Scholarship and Endowment Advisory Board to the National High School Rodeo Association. He has also been a proud member of the Roundup Riders of the Rockies since 1991.
Jay Hickert, Akron, Colorado
Jay Hickert was born on the family homestead in western Kansas in 1926 and moved to Colorado in 1951. Now, at 92-years-old, he’s the patriarch of the family’s farming, ranching, and cattle feeding operations in Washington County. Over the years he joined and took leadership roles in trade organizations, local coops, and his community. He was a charter member of the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee, served as President of the Colorado Cattle Feeders Association, was elected to serve as a director for the 9th District Farm Credit Bank in Wichita, KS and served a term on the Arickaree School Board. He worked closely with Colorado State University throughout his career to assist on advisory boards and research projects and became a partner in Dinklage Feedyards and Western Bank. Hickert’s influence as a thought-leader in the cattle feeding business expands across the West, while his reputation in his corner of Colorado is unparalleled.