Liberty County Commissioner Wicks appointed state FSA executive director

People are praising the appointment of a Hi-Line county commissioner to a state-level federal position to help Montana agricultural producers.

Liberty County Commissioner Maureen “Morb” Wicks is being appointed by President Joe Biden as the Montana executive director of U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency.

“Morb Wicks is a great pick to lead the Farm Service Agency,” Montana Farmers Union President Walter Schweitzer said in a release. “Her 16 years of experience as a Liberty County FSA committee member has prepared her well for this job. Her experience as a Liberty County commissioner will benefit Montana as well as she addresses issues that are important to rural Montana.

“Montana is lucky to have Morb to take the helm at FSA, and we look forward to working with her on issues that are critically important to family farms and ranches,” Schweitzer added.

Montana’s senior U.S. senator, Big Sandy-area dryland farmer Jon Tester, also lauded Wicks’ experience.

“As a Montana farmer with 30 years of experience working with producers across the state, Morb Wicks is more than qualified to head up the Montana Farm Service Agency,” Tester said in a release. “Wicks has a long track record of doing right by the Treasure State’s rural communities. She has been a longtime champion of family farming, and has consistently looked out for Montana’s small farms as Liberty County Commissioner.

“I have no doubt she’ll lead Montana FSA in the right direction, as we work together to support the producers who fuel our rural economies,” Tester said.

A release from USDA said From 1985-1995, Wicks Women Involved in Farm Economics, where she focused on advocacy for family farms and served as its Hi-Line chapter president.

In 1998, Wicks became the first woman elected to the Liberty County Farm Services Administration, where she served for 16 years.

In 2014, Wicks was elected to serve as a Liberty County Commissioner and was re-elected in 2021.

Wicks, a dryland wheat farmer, has served on the Montana Association of Counties Agriculture Committee, Liberty County Health Advisory Board and the Liberty County Council on Aging and is a member of Montana Farmers Union and Montana Grain Growers.

Wicks holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Montana State University.

She also is also a former teacher, teaching both government and social studies for more than 15 years in school districts across Montana.

FSA state executive directors oversee Farm Service Agency operations and agricultural policy implementation in the state. Each state executive director works with the state committee to administer FSA programs and county office operations, develops and maintains stakeholder relationships with customers and other agencies and governments.