NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State
University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
June 25, 1998
The Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives (QBCC) at North Dakota State University will expand its assistance to cooperatives by initiating an applied research program, by becoming more involved in director and management training, and by making outreach an official part of the Center's responsibilities, according to William C. Nelson, QBCC director since February.
"Our intent," says Nelson, "is to serve cooperatives and steering committees by meeting their needs as completely as possible. This will include providing them with confidential research, which is important to many of the new-generation cooperatives. In addition, QBCC will take a more active role in providing training to the new-generation cooperatives as they compete for consumers in the very competitive world of processed branded products."
Nelson has led several marketing and feasibility analyses of new cooperative ventures and comes to QBCC with more than 25 years of experience at NDSU in the agricultural economics department. He has served as director for international research programs, provost of Tri-College University, and director of the Northern Plains International Trade Program and the Institute of Natural Resources and Economic Development. He was one of the founders of Mid-America Consultants International, a cooperative, serving as president and vice president, and recently was involved with many of the new generation cooperatives through marketing and feasibility studies. His involvement with cooperatives started with childhood conversations with his father, who served as long-time president of the Hawley Creamery and Elevator associations.
Nelson said that he and Frayne Olson, assistant director, plan to make QBCC the open door for cooperatives to access the resources of the North Dakota University System. QBCC is an endowed center named after the late Sen. Quentin Burdick,for his many contributions to agriculture and agricultural cooperatives.
Nelson can be contacted by telephone at 701-231-1016, by fax at 701-231-1059 or by e-mail at winelson@plains.nodak.edu
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Source: Bill Nelson (701) 231-1016
Editor: Barry Brissman (701) 231-7866