I get to help people help people

Actually that’s what Judy Klusman has been doing all of her life – spanning private, public, and nonprofit environments. In her twenties, she and her husband Tim Klusman (Group V) were involved in Young Farmer programs, along with full-time farming. Always interested in expanding her horizons, Judy became involved in WRLP upon the prompting of Pete Knigge (Group I). Her WRLP international trip to Russia & Poland was Judy’s first travel overseas. She recalled, “the farther from Moscow, the freer it seemed. I can still see in my mind, the Kiev Farmer’s Market where I traded a Land O’ Lakes cap.” After WRLP, she knew she wanted to go on to serve in areas where she could practice leadership.

Judy was one of the first WRLP leadership fellows to run for public office after her 2-year training experience, serving six terms in the Wisconsin Assembly, representing the 56th Assembly District from 1988-2000. Past-Representative Klusman casts a long shadow, having received many “outstanding” leader or legislator awards across business, public service, education, agriculture, and nonprofit circles. Besides being the Assistant Majority Leader for a time, Judy’s legislative work ranged from important farmland preservation legislation to retirement systems, campaign finance reform, and human services. During her tenure, Judy was a friend to education, business, agriculture, technology, environmental concerns, and public servants – always leading by example.

Known for building bridges, not burning them, Judy’s lessons learned in the legislature ultimately led her on another important journey. When their two sons decided not to farm as a career, Judy and husband Tim took a big mid-life turn, sold their farm and she enrolled in seminary. After internship in Colorado and a final year of study in Austin, Texas, pastoral calls took them to Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) churches in Wisconsin as well as major disaster responses in the Gulf Coast of Mississippi following Hurricanes Katrina. These days, Pastor Judy Klusman, the Assistant to the Bishop of the North Carolina Synod of the ELCA works directly in Social Ministry Outreach & Congregational Health, including a partnership with Lutheran Family Services, helping congregations look outward, not inward. She guides church leaders in developing community and social ministry that improves the quality of life for youngsters, adults, and families. Judy leads with purpose and continues to support WRLP noting, “we need to raise up principled leaders for Wisconsin, people willing to listen, people willing to take a stand. WRLP addresses how to do this on multiple levels.”