“Farm Bureau has been my home, helped me raise my girls, make lots of friends, learn many skills and become a professional,” said Ellen Westbrook, Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Executive Secretary, when thinking about her April 30 retirement. 

Ellen started her Farm Bureau career with Mountain West Farm Bureau on April 9, 1979.  “Mountain West Farm Bureau gave me a chance in 1979 when I applied for a job having only one skill, I could type,” Ellen remembered.  “That was the beginning.  I had moved to town from the ranch and was a single mother of two so that job was critical for me.”

Ellen then joined the Wyoming Farm Bureau staff on Aug. 1, 1991 as the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) Executive Secretary.  Over the years, Ellen has applied her organizational skills to keep the office running smoothly.  Along with office management and accounting, Ellen has coordinated the state scholarship program, board meetings, awards and helped with membership.  This just skims the surface of the daily tasks Ellen has worked on over the years to serve Farm Bureau members around the state. 

According to Ellen, it was with mixed emotions that she considered retiring.  “I will miss it all especially the daily contact with the people, but I am looking forward to spending more time with my family, my grandchildren, doing some volunteer work and enjoying my home and yard,” Ellen said.

“I’m sure that some twenty five years ago when Ellen transferred over from Mountain West to work for the Federation, nobody realized it was going to be the beginning of a long relationship where she would see the organization fight wolves, grazing fee increases, state and federal encroachment on private operations and any number of issues,” Ken Hamilton, WyFB Executive Vice President, said.  “And while all of this was going on she would be keeping the day to day things that had to be done in order for Farm Bureau to be able to work on all the different issues.”

“In any organization there are a thousand things that have to get done each day and no one notices until they don’t get done,” Hamilton concluded.  “We are certainly grateful for all of Ellen’s help in keeping those things done over the years.”

“Ellen has been a main stay for many years. Her years of service to the board of directors has been invaluable,” said WyFB President Perry Livingston.  “The Livingston family has so appreciated Ellen's dedication and excellence in handling of the scholarship programs over the many years.  We wish Ellen the best in retirement.”