Yvonne Lesicko

Honoring Yvonne Lesicko with Ohio Farm Bureau’s Distinguished Service Award is many years too early. Lesicko might have received this award upon her retirement after what should have been a long and distinguished career. But fate had other plans when she passed away unexpectedly in June.

Lesicko might have had many more years of service to give, but like many of her fast-paced endeavors, she packed a career’s worth of accomplishments in her 11 years with the Ohio Farm Bureau. Reforming CAUV’s taxation of farmland, passing agritourism legislation, advocating for trade and farm programs, negotiating for fair and common sense water quality solutions and navigating the Lake Erie Bill of Rights legal complexities are just a few of the major issues she was involved with or led the charge to address. During the early months of 2020, she led OFBF’s work on a Farm, Food and Agribusiness COVID-19 Impact Survey. And she took on helping with farmer mental health projects as the burdens and stresses of the farm economy took a toll on the emotional health of many.  

Yvonne and her public policy colleagues at Ohio Farm Bureau.

Her Farm Bureau journey began after she earned her master’s degree in public administration from Ohio State University. She was recruited by former Ohio Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Bill Swank and took a position at Farm Bureau in 1994 as a full-time staffer in the then government affairs department. Her experience in covering telecommunications led to a job offer from Cincinnati Bell in 1997, where she worked for the next 15 years as director of government relations. During this time she also served as president of the Ohio Lobbying Association. She came back “home” to Farm Bureau in 2012.

Lesicko’s connection to agriculture began on her family’s farm and seed processing plant in Huron County. “At 13 I told my dad that I was going to run the farm,” she said. He had another idea: “I need you to go fight the EPA for me,” she quoted her dad, Clayton, as saying. “Even at that age I got the bug.”

In 2016 Lesicko was promoted to Ohio Farm Bureau vice president of public policy. It was a job that suited her well. Lesicko would have been successful advocating for any number of groups, but because of Farm Bureau’s work with members and its focus on young people, Farm Bureau gave her a platform — a stage you might say — where she could shine. Whether it was arranging for speakers at an event, guiding a nighttime monuments tour in Washington, D.C. or working with students, Lesicko shined brightest when she was front and center with members. What was not fully realized until she was gone was that not only was she a respected colleague, but she was also a teacher who mentored hundreds. She packed a lot into her 48 years. Her husband, Scott and son, Oscar, were everything to her. Her siblings were her best friends.

Her best piece of advice that she shared most often illustrated her energy and enthusiasm: Don’t wait to be asked. Show up. Get involved. Say what you want.

“It’s not a person’s natural inclination to jump into something that is not in their comfort zone,” she said. “And talking to an elected official for a lot of people is not in their comfort zone, until they realize it’s just another person.”

“I am living my story in terms of the fact that I am doing what my part is,” she said in an interview. “The part where I fit well with agriculture. I love that I don’t ever now think that I’m not in production agriculture so I’m not really a farmer. I hope that I’m being an amazing advocate and I hope that my contributions were to the overall agriculture community and the overall agricultural economy. It might not be production agriculture but I hope someday I can look back and be like I made a difference. That was pretty cool.”

The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation has established the Yvonne Lesicko Memorial Fund. For more information about the fund or to make a donation
visit ofb.ag/Lesicko.

ONLINE EXTRA

Labor has always been an issue, mainly because we are a seasonal operation. So that's a challenge finding somebody who only wants to work three months out of a year, sometimes up to six months.
Mandy Way's avatar
Mandy Way

Way Farms

Farm Labor Resources
I appreciate the benefit of having a strong voice in my corner. The extras that are included in membership are wonderful, but I'm a member because of the positive impact to my local and state agricultural communities.
Ernie Welch's avatar
Ernie Welch

Van Wert County Farm Bureau

Strong communities
I see the value and need to be engaged in the community I live in, to be a part of the decision-making process and to volunteer with organizations that help make our community better.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Leadership development
Farm Bureau involvement has taught me how to grow my professional and leadership experience outside of the workforce and how to do that in a community-centric way.
Jaclyn De Candio's avatar
Jaclyn De Candio

Clark County Farm Bureau

Young Ag Professionals program
With not growing up on a farm, I’d say I was a late bloomer to agriculture. I feel so fortunate that I found the agriculture industry. There are so many opportunities for growth.
Jenna Gregorich's avatar
Jenna Gregorich

Coshocton County Farm Bureau

Growing our Generation
Knowing that horticulture is under the agriculture umbrella and having Farm Bureau supporting horticulture like it does the rest of ag is very important.
Jared Hughes's avatar
Jared Hughes

Groovy Plants Ranch

Groovy Plants Ranch
If it wasn't for Farm Bureau, I personally, along with many others, would not have had the opportunity to meet with our representatives face to face in Washington.
Austin Heil's avatar
Austin Heil

Hardin County Farm Bureau

Washington, D.C. Leadership Experience
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
Mary Smallsreed's avatar
Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
Suggested Tags: