Jefferson Jackson 2008

Keynote Speaker

Governor Brian Schweitzer

Brian Schweitzer is a farmer and rancher who held no elected office prior to January, 2005, when he was sworn in as the first Democratic Governor to serve Montana in 20 years.  He has become known for his forward-looking energy policies, his hard-driving and common-sense leadership style, and his working attire:  blue-jeans, boots, a jacket, and a bolo-tie.

Brian was born and raised on his parents' cattle ranch in the Judith Basin, on the Great Plains of Central Montana, and is the grandson of German and Irish immigrants who homesteaded in Montana.  He and his wife Nancy have raised three children and a now-famous border collie, Jag.

Brian brings a unique global perspective to his job as Governor.  As a young agronomist with an advanced degree in soil sciences from Montana State University, he worked overseas for a decade on agricultural projects in the developing world.  In Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America, and during seven years in Saudi Arabia, he oversaw large-scale irrigation projects and the construction of some of the world's largest dairies. 

The Schweitzers returned to Montana in 1986 to raise a family and begin ranching, and Brian became active in farm and rural policy.  In 1993 he was appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to serve on the USDA Farm Service Agency state committee for Montana, and later served on the National Drought Task Force and the Montana Rural Development partnership Board.  In 1999, he decided to run for the U.S. Senate as an unknown candidate, against a strong incumbent whom he narrowly missed defeating.

Governor Schweitzer has received high marks for delivering on his priorities outlined on inauguration day: Incentives for bio-fuel and wind-energy production; an historic increase in public education spending along with a balanced budget and no new taxes; stronger protection of public lands for hunting, fishing and camping; and a purchasing pool for small businesses who want to buy health insurance for workers but cannot afford it.

The Governor has also become a leading voice on national agricultural and resource issues, ranging from bison management near Yellowstone National Park, the importation of diseased cattle from Canada, and American dependence on foreign oil.  He has been a vocal proponent of increased domestic production of clean energy and biofuels to replace foreign oil and address environmental problems. In this regard, he is perhaps the only governor who drives both a synthetic diesel vehicle and a biodiesel vehicle. 

The Governor's proposal for making synthetic petroleum out of coal, while capturing and sequestering greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, has received national attention.  It was featured in the NY Times, Washington Post and LA Times, and he has been a repeat guest on CNBC's Kudlow and Company and CNN's Lou Dobbs.  His national energy ideas were the subject of a feature-length story by Leslie Stahl on CBS's 60 Minutes in 2006.

To visit Governor Schweitzer's website, click here.