Meet the 2002 Convention Committee

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Photo 1: Executive Director, Phil Josephson, and family tour the Wells Fargo Farm in the middle of the Twin Cities.

Photo 2: Convention Committee Members Jeff Ruff, Bill Manwarren and Warren Winkelman promise to make your convention experience one you will never forget!

The 2002 Convention Committee set out two years ago planning a convention that offered a wide variety of local venues and speakers that are unique to the upper Midwest.  They promise a truly novel Hiawathaland experience.  Bill Manwarren is the program chairman.  Bill taught vocational agriculture after graduating from the University of Minnesota.  He left to work for the now regional Agralliance consortium where he is in charge of the plant food distribution network.  Just as his firm’s commodities must arrive as promised, Bill promises to deliver a convention program that will challenge each attendee’s understanding of national and international agricultural issues.  Bill has two sons who are Lambda alumni and are working in related businesses.

Lambda alumnus Warren Winkelman is planning the transportation for the varied off hotel site program events.  Warren owns his own medical transportation company and knows how to ad value to the experience of the expected 350 men and women attending the convention events.  Expect to use modes of transportation that you have not yet experienced.  Transportation and environmental issues in agriculture will be an integral part of each day’s program. 

Another Lambda alumnus is carefully planning your convention food.  Jeff Ruff has owned a variety of food vending businesses in the Twin Cities area.  He caters at large group events and he knows the appetites and preferences of college men.  Jeff owns and operates Ruff Farms in Franklin, Minnesota on a seasonal basis in addition to his food service businesses.  Since the convention hotel is located in the very center of the University of Minnesota campus, a large selection free time dining restaurants is within walking distance in the surrounding Dinkytown community. 

Fraternity staff from Kansas City and Grand President Bill Boehm visited each proposed program site and participated in the selection process.  There were certainly valuable and unique venues that had to be cut from the long list in order to meet both fraternity business and programming needs.  A limited selection of recommended agricultural-related attractions will be made available on a web site prior to the convention start.    

Do not let the snow and layered look of these men’s clothing discourage from attending the convention.  The Convention Committee assures you the snow will melt and the coats stored by August.  In fact, Minnesota is ranked number one for livable weather during the month of August over the entire 50 states. 

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