News : Lillibridge announces run for County Supervisor

Local farmer, Lance Lillibridge of Vinton, has taken several paths during his life. The latest is to run for elected office as a Benton County Supervisor.

Lance and his wife Heidi farm north of Vinton. The couple have two children. Tess is a sophomore at the University of Northern Iowa and Ty will be graduating from high school this year.

The family began farming in Benton County in 2002. They raise cattle and farm a total of 1,500 acres. The life experiences that Lance has varied greatly. This past week, he flew out to Denver to speak at the American Association for Advancement of Science Convention (AAAS). Lillibridge has worked closely with NASA in the past to help scientists understand farming. On this trip he made a presentation on the practices of farming and what happens on his farm/ He also participated in and discussed the AGMIP (Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project). He has worked with NASA over several years helping them to better understand farming.

This collaboration has helped NASA in several ways. Using their satellites they can better understand weather patterns from the sky and coordinate with what's happening on the ground to be able to help farmer coordinate their work with the weather. On his latest visit, he visited with scientists who were starstruck by talking to a real farmer, Lillibridge said that only 1.4% of the population are farmers so he understands what a rare breed he is. He enjoyed "telling the story of Iowa Agriculture," he said.

Before this, he served as the President of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. This job has taken him to Des Moines and Washington D.C. on behalf of farmers and given him a chance to Develop relationships with lawmakers around the country.

Lillibridge was also the CEO CFO of Lillibridge Transportation and Lillibridge Logistics which managed transportation supply chains in all of North America.

Farming has opened the doors for several opportunities for Lillibridge. To date, representatives from 14 different countries have visited the Lillibridge's Benton County Farm.

Lillibridge said, "As you can see I have a very diverse background and am able to manage large budgets and people. The best leaders are listeners and risk-takers. As a supervisor, I can do both as it's the people's County and they need a voice. I still believe the majority rules in this country and not one's ideology."