Beth Severson: AAUW Woman of the Year

Every year in March, the local chapter of the American Association of University Women names a Woman of the Year. These are woman who’ve impacted the community for good in a variety of ways related to education. This year’s honoree, Beth Severson, has been a leader on the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows board of education for nine years, but has also made a difference by leading in agriculture and volunteering her time and skills to benefit others.

Severson grew up north of Clarion and graduated from Belmond High School. She received a degree in Management Information Systems from Iowa State University, then moved to St. Louis with her husband, Troy. She worked for McDonald-Douglas for a year and a half doing computer work. They moved back to the Clarion area to be near family and began farming in 1988.

“As a woman, being involved in agriculture hasn’t always been easy, but every year there are more and more opportunities for very rewarding jobs in this field,” she said. “As a Syngenta seed advisor I’m proud to say that this company employs many capable women and also supports a large number of female farmers in Kenya and other third world countries.”

To learn about how Beth has impacted the C-G-D school district through her service, see the March 22 edition of the Monitor.