Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Former Farm Bureau president tapped as Ag Director

Posted in:

Illinois

* Gov.-elect Rauner hasn’t formally announced it yet, but this is widely known…

Philip Nelson, immediate past Illinois Farm Bureau president, plans to transition toward a new job this week — Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) director.

Gov. Bruce Rauner nominated the Seneca farmer to the post to succeed Bob Flider. Nelson said he plans to put a “new face” on the department of agriculture.

“The department is not just about agriculture but also food. We can reach out to consumers in the same way Illinois Farm Families does,” said Nelson, referring to an Illinois agriculture coalition, including IFB, aimed at sharing information with consumers. […]

Nelson served as IFB president from 2003-13. He led the organization as vice president from 1999-2003. Prior to those roles, he served as Illinois Soybean Association and LaSalle County Farm Bureau, and vice president of the American Soybean Association.

“The budget will certainly be something that will be under scrutiny very shortly as the governor is going to make a budget address in February. He knows, and I know the challenges facing our state,” Nelson told the RFD Radio Network. “The governor said, ‘Philip, if you come on board, I’ll give you the resources you need to truly make an impact on the department.’”

More promises for more money. Reality has apparently not yet sunk in.

posted by Rich Miller
Sunday, Jan 11, 15 @ 1:17 pm

Comments

Can help but wonder what is the game plan in offering so much new, when the entire campaign was about getting the state back on financial track. Seems like George Ryan with all the money he spent. Looks like a disaster in the making to me.

Comment by 618662dem Monday, Jan 12, 15 @ 9:45 am
I believe the key for Rauner will be to spend money to better train the state warehouse examiners in proper and accepted accounting principals. The Illinois Department of Agriculture has many good people working as grain warehouse inspectors for them. However, most of them have had no formal training in accounting. As a result, they are fairly accurate at measuring how many bushels of a grain are in a pile of grain or in a grain bin but they are lacking in the ability to discern when the financial records of a grain dealer have been fraudulently manipulated. Hence, Illinois holds the national honor of having been the victim of the largest grain fraud in the nation’s history (aka. Ty-Walk Liquid Sales Inc. to the tune of “over” 70 million dollars that disappeared). And that was just one of several grain elevators that have failed over the past 20 years. The Illinois Department of Agriculture stopped counting the losses with Ty-Walk after 70 million dollars but it was believed to have actually exceeded $100 million. This single bankruptcy could have paid for a lot of training classes in accounting for our state warehouse examiners. They would welcome a more comprehensive training program. They may not be able to prevent every fraud from taking place but at least they may be able to minimize the financial scope of the fraud with a better training program in accounting principals. Just a thought on my part.

Comment by Rowdy Yates Monday, Jan 12, 15 @ 10:09 am
Has Rauner announced his appointment for Dept of Insurance Director?

Comment by Empty Chair Monday, Jan 12, 15 @ 10:29 am
to add upon Rowdy Yates comment….all Department bureaus lack training in their regulatory responsibilities, not just warehouses.

Comment by konabrew Monday, Jan 12, 15 @ 6:12 pm