Stark named interim director
The University of Wyoming (UW) College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources (CALSNR) has appointed Doug Stark interim director of its Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership (RMAL) Program.
The program, which was launched in 2022, is designed to address contemporary workforce needs articulated by Wyoming agribusinesses.
In the early stages of the RMAL Program’s development, Stark helped facilitate listening sessions with Wyoming ranch owners and managers. As a distinguished agribusiness leader and UW alumnus, he is well positioned to guide the program’s next phase.
A familiar name in Wyoming and national agricultural communities, Stark graduated from UW in 1980 with a degree in agricultural business, then embarked on a 37-year career with Farm Credit Services of America.
From 2005 until his retirement in 2017, Stark served as president and chief executive officer of the financial cooperative, which provides agricultural credit, risk management and financial services to farm and ranch operators in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.
As a founder, instructor and now interim director of the RMAL Program, Stark is committed to the program’s long-term success.
“It’s off to a great start already,” he says. “My goal at this point in time is help provide insights and resources to help evolve the program. Hopefully we’re going to be turning around great students who can be employed in Wyoming businesses, including Wyoming ranches.”
Raised in Riverton, Stark himself is a homegrown success story. He currently resides just outside of Shawnee and remains an ardent UW supporter, devoting time, expertise and funds to further his alma mater’s mission.
In addition to his pivotal role in launching the RMAL Program, Stark has established multiple student scholarships and serves on the CALSNR Dean’s Advisory Board. He is also chair of the UW Foundation Board of Directors.
In recognition of his personal achievements and continued engagement with the university, Stark received an Outstanding Alumni Award from UW in 2013. In 2022, he received UW’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
Brooke Ortel is a writer and editor for UW Extension and can be reached at bortel@uwyo.edu. This article was originally published in UW Ag News on May 14.
