Wisconsin has an Office of Rural Prosperity. It's new and it now has its first director

Rick Barrett
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Kelliann Blazek has been named the first director of Wisconsin's newly created Office of Rural Prosperity

Wisconsin’s newly created Office of Rural Prosperity has named its first director, a woman who grew up on a La Crosse County farm and has worked for a member of Congress from Maine. 

The office, created by Gov. Tony Evers under the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., is meant to help rural communities, farmers and others navigate state programs that could be beneficial to them.

It would be a "one-stop shop" for rural communities seeking state assistance, WEDC Executive Director Missy Hughes said in an earlier Journal Sentinel interview.

"We are going to facilitate what WEDC is doing, and then work with the rest of the departments in state government to be able to help rural communities envision what they want to create ... and then make that happen," Hughes said.

“Even as WEDC concentrates on helping the entire state’s economy recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to give special attention to our rural communities that were already experiencing huge challenges before the outbreak,” she said Wednesday in a statement. 

The office’s first director, who starts April 20, will be Kelliann Blazek, currently staff counsel for U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat from Maine whose policy portfolio includes agriculture, rural development and trade. Most recently, Blazek developed federal legislation focused on climate-smart farming that leads to environmental and economic resiliency in agriculture.

Before joining Pingree’s office, Blazek worked on agriculture policy at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic.

She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is also a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School.

She grew up on her family’s farm near Bangor, Wisconsin. “Growing up on a Wisconsin family farm shaped my values in countless ways and fostered a deep appreciation for rural communities,” she said in a written statement.

“Now more than ever, listening to and supporting rural businesses and individuals is essential to addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an honor to lead a new office solely focused on strengthening the rural economy and enhancing the quality of life in rural Wisconsin.”