ChairmanKansas Board of Regents
Nelson D. Galle was appointed to the Kansas Board of Regents in 2003 by Governor Kathleen Sebelius. He is the current Board Chair and previously served as the Vice-Chair from 2005-2006.
Born in Newton, Kan., and raised near Moundridge, Kan., Galle moved to Manhattan, Kan., in 1999. He graduated from Kansas State University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education in 1958 and a Masters degree in Adult and Occupational Education in 1964. He also holds a graduate degree from Harvard Business School.
After serving in the United State Air Force, Galle’s career has centered on the area of Agribusiness. He taught Vocational Agriculture at Goessel Rural High School before joining Hesston Corporation, a manufacturer of farm machinery, where he was Vice President of Administration. He was also the Managing Director of Hesston’s European Operations in Brussels, Belgium. When the company was sold to Fiat of Italy, Galle worked for Fiat’s Agricultural Division.
As an entrepreneur, Galle, along with his wife, Marilyn, owned and managed Central Kansas Hatchery in Moundridge, Kansas. The company, with egg laying farms and hatcheries, produced approximately four million turkey poults per year. During this time, Galle was actively involved in management consulting for firms such as Farmland Industries, the Kansas Farm Bureau, and the Kansas Department of Commerce.
As a volunteer, Galle has supported education by serving on a variety of boards including: Chair of the Hesston College President’s Advisory Council, Chair of the State Advisory Council for Career Education in Kansas, Chair of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of the Kansas State University Foundation, National Chair of the Kansas State University Alumni Association, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Huck Boyd Institute for Rural Development, Member of the Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership Board of Directors, and Chair of the Moundridge Physician Recruitment Committee. Galle and his family were selected as the Kansas 4-H Family of the Year in 1980. He currently serves as a Member of the Board of the Kansas State University Research Foundation and is a member of the Manhattan Rotary Club.
Nelson’s wife, Marilyn, who has a degree in Elementary Education, taught school for six years and was a substitute teacher for twenty-five years. They have three sons, Russell, Randall, and Ronald, and six grandchildren.