Family, Farmers and Community Come First for Intern-Turned-CEO

On a recent spring day, Shawna Nelson points to a farm and a nearby nature reserve from her office window at Organic Valley’s headquarters in La Farge, Wisconsin.

The farm, the reserve and the office are significant to her. They are not just a view from a window; they are deeply entwined in her life.

Her in-laws own the farm, her family often explores the reserve, and for years that office has been where she aspired to be. Twenty years ago, May 31, 2005, Shawna began as an Organic Valley intern, working in a cubicle just 20 feet away from the office she occupies today.

Earlier this year, she became the fourth CEO of Organic Valley and the first woman to hold that position at the cooperative.

From Intern to CEO

Shawna has two passions: serving the co-op and being the best mom and wife she can be.

Born and raised in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin, she began her journey at Organic Valley as a human resources intern. Over the years she moved into roles in marketing, sales analysis, recruitment, employee relations, field operations and dairy pool management. Shawna also made a point to immerse herself in hands-on experiences to truly understand the co-op. She said wrapping cheese, for example, is much harder than it looks!

Most recently she served as the executive vice president of membership. In this role, she managed all farmer-member touchpoints and pools at Organic Valley, interacting with hundreds of farmers. Shawna’s passion for working with farmers and being a part of a team that serves them inspires her.

These experiences helped prepare her to confidently step into the role as CEO. She worked closely with the former CEO, and co-op board of directors, also allowing for a smooth transition.

“My first day as CEO, it felt so right,” Shawna said.

Women hold about half the upper-leadership positions at Organic Valley. But worldwide, only 6% of CEOs are female, Fast Company reports.

Organic Valley is committed to fostering growth opportunities among its employees, often discovering talent in unexpected places. For Shawna, the opportunity to intern at the nation’s largest farmer-owned organic cooperative, combined with her dedication, set her on a path to success. If you ask around, it is clear that she is driven!

When the board announced the former co-op CEO had resigned, she had no desire to be interim CEO — Shawna wanted to be the CEO, and she let the co-op board members know this. They listened. They interviewed her for hours and that same day, offered her the position.

“The board chose Shawna because of her demonstrated strong leadership, understanding of the farmer membership and connection to the employees,” said Dave Hardy, Organic Valley farmer and co-op board president. “She has shown dedication to the mission and to organic food, and with her vision will lead our farmer-owned cooperative forward.”

Shawna is committed to continuing Organic Valley’s mission by supporting family farms, delivering high-quality organic food, emphasizing environmental stewardship and building upon the cooperative’s achievements.

“I am leading farmers and employees toward a vision. This isn’t one leader. It’s the team. It’s all of us,” she said.

True to the Mission 

Organic Valley’s mission is to provide a stable, sustainable pay price to farmers so they can continue farming with their families. It all started in 1988, when seven farmers got together to find a way to market their goods and make a sustainable living by producing organically derived food.

As CEO, Shawna intends to continue the momentum the co-op is experiencing. Demand for organic products is growing, and the cooperative is welcoming more organic farms each year.

Arriving at the office and looking over the landscape reminds Shawna how fortunate she is to work in such a hopeful place and the connection the co-op has with the community and farmers. This connection drives her.

“I hope farmers are able to do what they love, which is take care of the land, take care of the animals and pass that on to the next generation,” she said. “A lot of things in the world are challenging and that 58% of organic farms are shipping (milk) to Organic Valley is inspiring.”

She keeps an Organic Valley® milk carton with a photo of an Organic Valley farmer on it in her office. Shawna has taken that carton with her desk to desk as she changed positions, as a reminder that balancing milk supply and demand helps ensure farmers have opportunities and “to show the importance of what we do every day.”

She helps lead a team dedicated to making sure that happens — allowing the land and the farmers who care for it to remain viable. Shawna is also a strong community advocate. 

“When we think about communities, there are so many communities that we’re a part of here,” she said. “It’s our community as a co-op, which includes our members and employees working together. It’s also about our organic and rural communities across the country, ensuring that we continue to support them in the way we have throughout the years that we have been a cooperative.”

Hope for Organic Farms

Organic Valley has gained momentum over the past few years — providing even more sustainable pay prices for the 1,600 organic farms across the nation that call the cooperative home. Shawna and team are working on a three-year strategic plan to keep that momentum.

“I want farmers to have a choice. I think our co-op is the best choice. When farmers can control their future and are given the opportunities to farm, it is key,” she said.

Providing farmers with a sustainable pay price allows them to continue protecting where your food comes from and providing quality, organic products.

“Organic focuses on the whole system: the land, animals and conservation,” Shawna said. “It is humbling that people choose to use their purchasing dollars to support us.”

Anything Is Possible!

Shawna resides in La Farge, Wisconsin, with her husband Reggie and son Bentley. The family enjoys exploring the Kickapoo Valley Reserve and attending school events. You will often find them at Viroqua Municipal Airport, cheering on 15-year-old Bentley, an aviation enthusiast, as he flies planes.

As a child, Shawna’s parents reinforced that anything is possible, and she carries that inspiration with her every day. She fondly recalls spending time in the woods with her father and playing sports (to this day, holding the record for average points per game on her high school basketball team) while finding time to focus on her schoolwork. She excelled and was salutatorian of her high school class.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Her father, Jeff Liska, was not surprised to hear his daughter would be taking over the CEO position. However, he was surprised it happened at such a young age. Failure was never an option for her, he said.

“She worked hard to get where she’s at,” he said. “I am glad other people saw in her what I did. Obviously, she puts great effort in and has perseverance. It doesn’t mean it comes easy, but she is willing to do what it takes to get where she wants to be.”

Shawna agrees with her parents that anything is possible. She passes this belief on to her son, who is pursuing his dream of becoming an airline pilot.

“You can’t hold them back from their dream or they’ll never accomplish it,” she said.

It’s safe to take her word for it!