The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction welcomed Sally Ladsten on Jan. 31, 2022 as the new Agriculture Food and Natural Resources Education Consultant. In that role, Ladsten serves as the Wisconsin FFA Advisor.

She steps into the shoes of the late Jeff Hicken, who passed in June of 2021. Hicken served with the Wisconsin FFA and DPI for just over 15 years, working closely with other state staff and state officers each year to serve ag educators and FFA members statewide.

Her new position with DPI will including providing resources and leadership for educators within the agriculture, food and natural resources field, as well as assisting other career and technical education programs. As she will also advise the state FFA officer team, this experience will allow her to give back to an industry that she holds close to her heart.

Ladsten earned her agricultural education degree from UW-River Falls, she is dual licensed and prior to trnasitioning to the Wisconsin DPI, she tought courses in agriculture and biology at Sauk Prairie High School where she also was the co-adviser of the FFA, she is a former state FFA officer and president, she has worked for the National FFA Organization as a leadership program facilitator, and she has industry experience as a research assistant with a crop protection company.