For nearly half a century, William Geary has been a strong voice for animal agriculture, the cooperative movement, and agribusiness in Wisconsin. His contributions to Wisconsin agriculture have earned him the Honorary Recognition Award from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Geary began his career in livestock marketing at Oscar Mayer and Company. In 1968, he joined the Equity Livestock Sales Association, starting as a hog marketing coordinator and retiring as senior vice president. At Equity, he developed a variety of marketing innovations that increased competition and prices for Wisconsin livestock producers.

Geary created and implemented “Corn Belt Lamb Teleauction.” This started as a telephone lamb-marketing program, and now uses the Internet to market sheep, lambs and goats, sending lambs to processors from coast to coast. It has provided Wisconsin lamb producers with access to the national lamb market, and has served as a model for other electronic auction services across the nation.

While at Equity, he also developed a commodity brokerage service, a livestock credit corporation, special veal programs and teleauctions for fed cattle sold in carcass.

Geary retired from Equity in 1996 to become president and CEO of the Wisconsin Agribusiness Council. He helped guide the council through times of lean finances, initiated a new strategic plan, chaired the search committee for a new president, and expanded its membership and member services.

In 1997, Geary was nominated by Governor Thompson to serve on the State Board of Agriculture, and he continues to volunteer at the Wisconsin Agribusiness Council as a membership services specialist.

Geary has served on dozens of hiring committees, advisory groups and study committees for the College and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. He has worked closely with CALS extension specialists over the years, and has been a guest lecturer in the College”s livestock marketing short course.

Geary will receive the award Nov. 5 at a banquet in the Memorial Union on the UW-Madison campus. Also at the banquet, Alfred E. Harper, professor emeritus of biochemistry and nutritional sciences at the UW-Madison, will receive the CALS Distinguished Service Award.

Honorary Recognition, the highest honor bestowed by the College, recognizes people who have made outstanding contributions toward the development of agriculture, protection of natural resources, and improvement of rural living. Since 1909, the College has honored more than 400 people with these awards. For information on attending the banquet, please call CALS Outreach Services, (608) 263-1672.