Gary Wertish was elected Minnesota Farmers Union President in a special election in January 2017. Gary and his wife, Jeanne, have four children and four grandchildren. Gary ran a diversified grain and livestock farm and now assists his son, Tom, in operating their family farm near Renville. Gary is a member of the National Farmers Union board of directors and a member of the NFU Executive Committee. He is a chairman of the board of Farmers Union Enterprises and serves as the livestock facilitator for the World Farmers Organization Livestock Working Group based in Rome, Italy. Since 1991, Gary has served as a supervisor for Emmet Township in Renville County. He also served nine years as a director and president of the Renville Volunteer Ambulance Service. From 1993 to 1999, Gary served on the USDA’s Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Sweeteners in Washington, D.C., and presently is a member of the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds. From 2001 to 2007, Gary served as Sen. Mark Dayton’s Agricultural Director. In 2009, he was elected MFU’s vice president. He has served on MFU and NFU policy committees and as an MFU field representative. Gary graduated from Renville High School and Willmar Area Vocational Technical Institute receiving a degree in agriculture business management.