Ron Micheli
Encyclopedia
Joseph Ronald Micheli, known as Ron Micheli (born May 30, 1948), is a former director of the Wyoming
Department of Agriculture who also served from 1977-1992 in the Wyoming House of Representatives
. He ran a strong third-place finish as a candidate for the Republican
gubernatorial nomination
in 2010
. His primary opponents were former U.S. Attorney Matt Mead
, who won the nomination and later the general election
, state auditor Rita Meyer
, who placed second, and Speaker of the Wyoming House
Colin M. Simpson
of Cody, who finished in fourth place.
in Uinta County
in the southwestern corner of Wyoming
to Joseph G. Micheli (born 1927) and Rebecca T. Micheli (born 1925). In 1966, he graduated from Mountain View High School. In 1970, he received a Bachelor of Science
degree in animal science
from the University of Wyoming
at Laramie
. He was voted the "Outstanding Animal Science Student" by the agriculture honorary fraternity Alpha Zeta
. Micheli has also been recognized as an "Outstanding Alumnus" of the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture.
On June 13, 1969, Micheli, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, married the former Patricia J. "Patty" Smith (born 1949), a 1967 graduate of Hot Springs County High School in Thermopolis
and a 1971 graduate of the University of Wyoming. The couple has eight children, all of whom have either attended or will attend the University of Wyoming. As of 2010, five of the Micheli offspring had received their UW degrees.
and Angus
cattle operation with an annual bull sale each year in October. Ron Micheli is a former Regional Vice President of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association
and has received the "Guardian of the Grassland Award," the highest honor of the association. In 1991, Gamma Sigma Delta named Micheli as Wyoming’s "Outstanding Agriculturalist." In 1997, Wyoming Livestock Roundup named Micheli the "Outstanding Agriculture Citizen for the State of Wyoming". The Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts awarded Micheli their Presidential Award, the highest honor given by that organization. Micheli received the "Compadre Award" from the interest group, the Wyoming Wool Growers Association, which recognizes achievement on behalf of the state's sheep industry.
Governor Dave Freudenthal
tapped John Barasso, a Casper
physician, for the appointment.
Before running for the United States Senate, Micheli served in the Wyoming House of Representatives. During his time in the House, Micheli held various leadership positions including Majority Whip, Majority Floor Leader, and Speaker Pro Tem. Micheli served as the chairman of the House Revenue Committee for six years where he was recognized as the tax authority in the House. Micheli drafted and carried major revisions to the Wyoming Tax Code including legislation to ensure that agriculture lands were taxed according to their productive value. Micheli also drafted and successfully shepherded a constitutional amendment to clarify property taxation under Wyoming law.
On social issues, Micheli supported legislation to require parental consent before a minor could procure an abortion
, and he sponsored and successfully enacted legislation to prevent the use of public funds for abortions except in the case of rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother. Micheli also sponsored and carried the Victims Bill of Rights, sweeping legislation to protect victims of crimes.
During his time in the Wyoming House, the media covering the legislature named Micheli as the most outstanding legislator.
Micheli also served on the House Agriculture Committee, House Health and Human Services Committee, Mines and Minerals Committee, among others.
Micheli has served as a Republican recinct] committeeman for twenty-two years and on the Wyoming Republican State Central Committee for twelve years, including a stint as treasurer. Micheli served as the chairman of the Wyoming State Republican Convention in 1994 and twice headed the Platform committee, most recently in 2008.
During his time as Director of Agriculture, Micheli worked extensively with various environmental and regulatory issues. Micheli also served as the chairman of the National Task Force on Clean Water Act
Compliance. In this position, Micheli led a national task force to reduce the impact of implementing Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) standards under the Clean Water Act. This task force worked with state and federal agencies to reach a compromise agreement on standards and enforcement that would protect waters and protect private industry and agriculture. Micheli represented Wyoming in the Western States Governors Association initiative to overhaul the Endangered Species Act. As the Wyoming representative on this task force, Micheli worked closely with members of Congress to craft legislation to amend the Endangered Species Act
. As the Co-Chair of the Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board, Micheli represented Wyoming in congressional hearings related to predator control. Micheli also represented Wyoming before federal agencies on issues related to the implementation of the Endangered Species Act, the authorization of the Farm Bill, and public land use issues.
Micheli also led several state interagency tasks force to address issues facing Wyoming. Micheli served as the chair of the Wyoming Interagency Brucellosis
management team, having led an interagency task force to address brucellosis infection in bison and elk in the Greater Yellowstone National Park
area that had caused several states to place an embargo on Wyoming cattle. This task force successfully worked to end the embargo and allow the exportation of Wyoming cattle to every state. Micheli co-chaired the original Wyoming Domestic/Big Horn Sheep Working Group, which developed the first comprehensive, cooperative plan to address the issue of conflicts between Big Horn sheep enthusiasts and domestic sheep producers. The "Wyoming Plan" has been held up as a model of how diverse interests that are pitted against each other can work together to accomplish goals that benefit both the interests that are in conflict, as well as a greater socio- and economic good. Micheli also served as the Co-Chair of the Governor’s Drought Task Force.
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
Department of Agriculture who also served from 1977-1992 in the Wyoming House of Representatives
Wyoming House of Representatives
The Wyoming House of Representatives is the lower house of the Wyoming State Legislature. There are 60 Representatives in the House, representing an equal amount of single-member constituent districts across the state, each with a population of at least 9,000. The House convenes at the Wyoming...
. He ran a strong third-place finish as a candidate for the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
gubernatorial nomination
Nomination
Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office, or the bestowing of an honor or award.In the context of elections for public office, a candidate who has been selected by a political party is normally said to be the nominee of that party...
in 2010
Wyoming gubernatorial election, 2010
The 2010 Wyoming gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the Governor of Wyoming, who will serve a four-year term to begin in January 2011...
. His primary opponents were former U.S. Attorney Matt Mead
Matt Mead
Matthew Hansen "Matt" Mead , is the 32nd and current Governor of Wyoming.-Early Life:Mead is the son of Peter Mead and Mary Hansen Mead , the GOP gubernatorial nominee in 1990, and the grandson of the late Governor and U.S. Senator Clifford P. Hansen...
, who won the nomination and later the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, state auditor Rita Meyer
Rita Meyer
Rita C. Meyer currently serves Wyoming's 19th State Auditor and was a candidate for Governor of Wyoming in the 2010 Wyoming gubernatorial election. She lost to Matt Mead on August 17, 2010 by approximately 700 votes.-Early life and education:...
, who placed second, and Speaker of the Wyoming House
Wyoming House of Representatives
The Wyoming House of Representatives is the lower house of the Wyoming State Legislature. There are 60 Representatives in the House, representing an equal amount of single-member constituent districts across the state, each with a population of at least 9,000. The House convenes at the Wyoming...
Colin M. Simpson
Colin M. Simpson
Colin Simpson is a Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives, representing the 24th district since 1999 and has been the Speaker of the House since 2008. He finished fourth in the race for the 2010 gubernatorial election...
of Cody, who finished in fourth place.
Personal life
Ron Micheli was born in Fort BridgerFort Bridger, Wyoming
Fort Bridger is a census-designated place in Uinta County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 400 at the 2000 census. The town takes its name from the eponymous Fort Bridger established in 1842.-Geography:...
in Uinta County
Uinta County, Wyoming
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 19,742 people, 6,823 households, and 5,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 8,011 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
in the southwestern corner of Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
to Joseph G. Micheli (born 1927) and Rebecca T. Micheli (born 1925). In 1966, he graduated from Mountain View High School. In 1970, he received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in animal science
Animal science
Animal Science is described as "studying the biology of animals that are under the control of mankind". Historically, the animals studied were farm animals, including livestock and horses, but courses available now look at a far broader area to include companion animals, for example dogs, cats and...
from the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
at Laramie
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
. He was voted the "Outstanding Animal Science Student" by the agriculture honorary fraternity Alpha Zeta
Alpha Zeta
Alpha Zeta is a professional fraternity for students and industry professionals in the agriculture and natural resources fields. Founded in 1897 at The Ohio State University, Alpha Zeta is the first and oldest collegiate society for agriculture...
. Micheli has also been recognized as an "Outstanding Alumnus" of the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture.
On June 13, 1969, Micheli, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, married the former Patricia J. "Patty" Smith (born 1949), a 1967 graduate of Hot Springs County High School in Thermopolis
Thermopolis, Wyoming
Thermopolis is the largest town in, and the county seat of Hot Springs County, Wyoming, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,172....
and a 1971 graduate of the University of Wyoming. The couple has eight children, all of whom have either attended or will attend the University of Wyoming. As of 2010, five of the Micheli offspring had received their UW degrees.
Business background
Micheli is a fourth generation rancher in Fort Bridger, where he runs and operates a ranch in partnership with his father and his brother, Dale Dee Micheli (born 1954). The ranch maintains a purebred HerefordHereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
and Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
cattle operation with an annual bull sale each year in October. Ron Micheli is a former Regional Vice President of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association
Wyoming Stock Growers Association
The Wyoming Stock Growers Association is a historic American cattle organization created in 1873. The Association was started among Wyoming cattle ranchers to standardize and organize the cattle industry, but quickly grew into a political force that has been called "the de facto territorial...
and has received the "Guardian of the Grassland Award," the highest honor of the association. In 1991, Gamma Sigma Delta named Micheli as Wyoming’s "Outstanding Agriculturalist." In 1997, Wyoming Livestock Roundup named Micheli the "Outstanding Agriculture Citizen for the State of Wyoming". The Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts awarded Micheli their Presidential Award, the highest honor given by that organization. Micheli received the "Compadre Award" from the interest group, the Wyoming Wool Growers Association, which recognizes achievement on behalf of the state's sheep industry.
Political career
In 2007, after the death of U.S. Senator Craig L. Thomas, the Wyoming Republican Party held a special election to choose three candidates to submit to the Wyoming Governor so the Governor could choose Senator Thomas’s replacement. Micheli participated in the special election process and advanced to the final round of five candidates.Ultimately, DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Governor Dave Freudenthal
Dave Freudenthal
David Duane "Dave" Freudenthal , is an American politician who served as the 31st Governor of Wyoming. A Democrat, he was reelected to his second term on November 7, 2006, and announced on March 4, 2010, that he would not attempt to seek a third term as Governor.-Education and early...
tapped John Barasso, a Casper
Casper, Wyoming
Casper is the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.. Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming , according to the 2010 census, with a population of 55,316...
physician, for the appointment.
Before running for the United States Senate, Micheli served in the Wyoming House of Representatives. During his time in the House, Micheli held various leadership positions including Majority Whip, Majority Floor Leader, and Speaker Pro Tem. Micheli served as the chairman of the House Revenue Committee for six years where he was recognized as the tax authority in the House. Micheli drafted and carried major revisions to the Wyoming Tax Code including legislation to ensure that agriculture lands were taxed according to their productive value. Micheli also drafted and successfully shepherded a constitutional amendment to clarify property taxation under Wyoming law.
On social issues, Micheli supported legislation to require parental consent before a minor could procure an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, and he sponsored and successfully enacted legislation to prevent the use of public funds for abortions except in the case of rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother. Micheli also sponsored and carried the Victims Bill of Rights, sweeping legislation to protect victims of crimes.
During his time in the Wyoming House, the media covering the legislature named Micheli as the most outstanding legislator.
Micheli also served on the House Agriculture Committee, House Health and Human Services Committee, Mines and Minerals Committee, among others.
Micheli has served as a Republican recinct] committeeman for twenty-two years and on the Wyoming Republican State Central Committee for twelve years, including a stint as treasurer. Micheli served as the chairman of the Wyoming State Republican Convention in 1994 and twice headed the Platform committee, most recently in 2008.
Wyoming Director of Agriculture
Micheli served as the Director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture from 1995-2003. During his time as the director of this state agency, Micheli served on several national boards including serving as President of the Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture (WASDA) where Micheli presided over an organization which included twelve western state departments of agriculture. As president of WASDA, Micheli helped to develop joint policy and positions with all twelve state agricultural departments to address concerns of the coalition.During his time as Director of Agriculture, Micheli worked extensively with various environmental and regulatory issues. Micheli also served as the chairman of the National Task Force on Clean Water Act
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that...
Compliance. In this position, Micheli led a national task force to reduce the impact of implementing Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) standards under the Clean Water Act. This task force worked with state and federal agencies to reach a compromise agreement on standards and enforcement that would protect waters and protect private industry and agriculture. Micheli represented Wyoming in the Western States Governors Association initiative to overhaul the Endangered Species Act. As the Wyoming representative on this task force, Micheli worked closely with members of Congress to craft legislation to amend the Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
. As the Co-Chair of the Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board, Micheli represented Wyoming in congressional hearings related to predator control. Micheli also represented Wyoming before federal agencies on issues related to the implementation of the Endangered Species Act, the authorization of the Farm Bill, and public land use issues.
Micheli also led several state interagency tasks force to address issues facing Wyoming. Micheli served as the chair of the Wyoming Interagency Brucellosis
Brucellosis
Brucellosis, also called Bang's disease, Crimean fever, Gibraltar fever, Malta fever, Maltese fever, Mediterranean fever, rock fever, or undulant fever, is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unsterilized milk or meat from infected animals or close contact with their secretions...
management team, having led an interagency task force to address brucellosis infection in bison and elk in the Greater Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
area that had caused several states to place an embargo on Wyoming cattle. This task force successfully worked to end the embargo and allow the exportation of Wyoming cattle to every state. Micheli co-chaired the original Wyoming Domestic/Big Horn Sheep Working Group, which developed the first comprehensive, cooperative plan to address the issue of conflicts between Big Horn sheep enthusiasts and domestic sheep producers. The "Wyoming Plan" has been held up as a model of how diverse interests that are pitted against each other can work together to accomplish goals that benefit both the interests that are in conflict, as well as a greater socio- and economic good. Micheli also served as the Co-Chair of the Governor’s Drought Task Force.
External links
- Micheli for Governor official campaign site