• Francis Thicke
• News
• March 11, 2010

Francis Thicke Announces Hiring of Campaign Staff, Opening of State Campaign Headquarters in Fairfield

by Francis Thicke

FAIRFIELD – Francis Thicke, Democratic candidate for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, has announced the appointment of Rob Hubler, a 40-year campaign veteran, as his Campaign Manager, and media specialist Keith Dinsmore as his Communications Director.

Thicke, an organic dairy farmer who announced his candidacy for the office in September, also announced that his campaign headquarters will be located at 56 South Main Street in Fairfield.

“I am delighted to have attracted the services of two highly-respected campaign veterans to help communicate my new vision for Iowa agriculture and the leadership that I intend to bring to the office,” said Thicke.

Thicke said that his campaign will be about positioning Iowa agriculture to meet the challenges of the 21st century, including the need to develop more diverse and resilient farming systems.

“We must develop sustainable on-farm energy systems to prepare us to meet the energy challenges of the future,” said Thicke. “Our campaign will also emphasize the importance of protecting our air and water quality and developing local food systems to keep our food dollars in Iowa.”

Hubler, who was a candidate for Congress in Iowa’s 5th District in 2008, served on the staffs of former Senator Dick Clark and Senator Tom Harkin prior to his becoming a Presbyterian minister. He has also managed several congressional and statewide campaigns. “I am excited to have the opportunity to work with Francis, who I believe is one of the most highly-qualified candidates for Secretary of Agriculture in our state’s history,” said Hubler.

Dinsmore, who grew up on a farm near Fremont, owned and published several community newspapers in Iowa and Missouri prior to becoming a media specialist. He has worked on numerous campaigns, beginning as Press Secretary in Iowa with former President Jimmy Carter in 1980. He has since represented the presidential campaigns of Rep. Dick Gephardt, Sen. Bill Bradley and Sen. Joe Biden. Dinsmore served as Iowa Communications Director for Vice President Biden’s 2008 campaign for president prior to his selection as Barack Obama’s nominee for vice president. He has also been a communications consultant for My Rural America Action Fund, a progressive advocacy organization based in Washington, D. C.

“Unlike the incumbent in this campaign, Francis does not represent the status quo, and he is not a tool of corporate agriculture,” said Dinsmore. “He is the sustainable future of Iowa agriculture important to all Iowans concerned about producing healthy food and protecting our natural resources.”

Thicke, who has a PhD in Agronomy, has served in the U. S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D. C. as National Program Leader for Soil Science. He and his wife, Susan, own and operate an 80-cow, grass-based, organic dairy near Fairfield. They process their milk on the farm into bottled milk, cheese and yogurt, and market it locally.

He was the 2009 recipient of the Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture awarded by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University. Thicke received a similar honor in 2007 from the Practical Farmers of America. He has also received the Steward of the Land Award presented by the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Thicke has also served on the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission, the Iowa Food Policy Council, Organic Farming Research Foundation Board, the ISU Extension Advisory Committee, and the Governing Council of the Consortium for Sustainable Agriculture Research.