Sec. Gabriel is named for SDCGA Excellence in Agriculture

The South Dakota Corn Growers Association (SDCGA) named South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture Larry Gabriel for an Excellence in Agriculture Award during their 21st Annual Meeting held Jan. 6.

The award honors an outstanding leader in agriculture who exemplifies excellence in agriculture by their significant contributions to the industry as a whole. Gabriel has demonstrated remarkable passion and leadership in South Dakota agriculture. He is a pacesetter and has achieved great successes for South Dakota agriculture, which have set the stage for others to succeed.

He has devoted his life to agriculture and for the past 7 years has been the agricultural icon for the state of South Dakota as the Secretary of Agriculture. He has fought for agriculture in the state, making contributions beyond the scope of his office.

Gabriel has devoted many years to public service. He served as a Haakon County Commissioner from 1975 through 1982 and as a State Representative from 1983 until retiring from the legislature in 1998. During his tenure in the House of Representatives, he served six years as House Majority Leader and was known for his expertise in tax issues. He has served as the state’s Secretary of Agriculture since 2000.

Gabriel and his wife, Charlotte, along with their son Jeff and daughter-in-law Heather, operate a ranch in Pennington and Haakon Counties. He and Charlotte have two children and five grandchildren.As he leaves his position in the Governor’s Cabinet, the SDCGA thanks him for his dedication to state government and agriculture.