Minnesota’s Ed Slettom Receives Highest Honor Bestowed by Co-ops
 ST. PAUL, Minn. (May 7, 2009) – Minnesota cooperative leader Edward E. Slettom was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame Wednesday at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The former executive director of the Minnesota Association of Cooperatives (now Cooperative Network) received this highest honor bestowed by the U.S. cooperative community to recognize those who have made “heroic” contributions to cooperative enterprise.
“Cooperative education was at the core of all of Ed’s initiatives,” said Cooperative Network President and CEO Bill Oemichen. “He opened up the Minnesota Association of Cooperatives to include the broad cross-section of state cooperatives and initiated legislation to benefit cooperatives.”
The national October Co-op Month program owes its existence in part to Slettom’s efforts to unite cooperative promotions throughout the Midwest while heading the Minnesota Association of Cooperatives (MAC).
In addition to leading MAC for 30 years, Slettom served as Secretary of The Cooperative Foundation and as Minnesota Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture. He has served as a director of the Cooperative League of the USA and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, among a host of other organizations.
His recognitions have included the Cooperative Educational Award from the National Co-op Month Committee, Minnesota’s Outstanding Agriculturist Award and the Distinguished Service Citation from the Association of Cooperative Educators.
Known as “Mr. Co-op” at the state Legislature, he assisted electric co-ops to overcome legislative efforts that would have diminished the authority of their boards. He was instrumental in the creation of the National Cooperative Bank, a highly successful cooperative lending institution.
Under his leadership, MAC expanded a statewide cooperative conference for youth that attracted more than 9,000 outstanding young people during his tenure. He organized trips to the American Institute of Cooperatives for more than 500 state officers of 4-H, FFA, FHA and Vocational Education Clubs. A book titled "Ed Slettom: The Man, The Work, The Plan" is scheduled to be released early summer 2009 and will include highlights from Slettom's distinguished career, his impact on cooperatives around the world, and the current state of cooperatives and their future in the global economy.
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