FORMER IOWA GOVERNOR TERRY BRANSTAD HAS RETIRED AS PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE.
BRANSTAD SAYS ONE OF HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS WAS RECONNECTING THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE WITH THE WORK OF NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER NORMAN BORLAUG, THE AGRICULTURAL SCIENTIST WHO FOUNDED THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE IN 1986.
WORLD1 OC……….HIS LIFETIME. :19
BRANSTAD, WHO TURNED 78 THIS PAST NOVEMBER, GREW UP ON A FARM NEAR LELAND.
HE SERVED NEARLY 22 AND A HALF YEARS AS GOVERNOR — THE LONGEST TENURE EVER FOR AN AMERICAN GOVERNOR.
HE WAS THE NATION’S OLDEST GOVERNOR IN 2017 WHEN HE LEFT OFFICE TO BECOME U-S AMBASSADOR TO CHINA. WHEN HE WAS FIRST ELECTED GOVERNOR, BRANSTAD WAS JUST 36 YEARS OLD — THE NATION’S YOUNGEST GOVERNOR.
WORLD2 OC………OPPONENT, ROXANNE CONLIN.” :19
BRANSTAD LEFT OFFICE IN 1999 AFTER FOUR TERMS AS GOVERNOR AND BECAME PRESIDENT OF DES MOINES UNIVERSITY IN 2003.
HE RETURNED TO THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE IN 2011, AND HAS BASIC ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO ENTER POLITICS:
WORLD3 OC…….IS VERY IMPORTANT.” :13
BRANSTAD WAS U-S AMBASSADOR TO CHINA FROM MID-2017 TO THE FALL OF 2020.
HE SAYS HE WILL STILL BE INVOLVED AS A VOLUNTEER WITH THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE AND WANTS TO DO WHAT HE CAN TO HELP.
Radio Iowa/Iowa governor’s office file photo