Remembering Ron Shaffer

Remembering Ron Shaffer

We are sad to say goodbye to our friend and partner Ron Shaffer, who passed peacefully on March 4, 2005 at his home in Middleton. A founding member and long time Board Member of Wisconsin Rural Partners who valiantly endured a long struggle with ALS, Ron will be greatly missed.

Ron's impact in the field of community economic development is worldwide, through his leadership in the University of Wisconsin - Extension, Center for Community Economic Development, Community Development Society, and National Rural Economic Development Institute, to name a few. He was one of the pioneers of the Community Economic Analysis process now widely used around the world today, and the Community Economic Preparedness Index measuring tool for communities.

In 2001, the National Rural Development Partnership established the Ron Shaffer award given annually for outstanding leadership in rural America. At right, Ron is shown with Dick Gardner, former director of the Idaho Rural Development Partnership, first recipient of the award. Others who have been honored with the award include Don Macke (NE), Cheryl Hinckley (TX), Bill Graham (IN), Mary Randolph (WY), Dianne McSwain (U.S. Dept. of HHS), and Dennis Engelke (TX).

Tributes to Ron circulated throughout the community development and rural development communities. A few are listed at right. To view his full obituary from the Wisconsin State Journal, click here.

Our condolences to Ron's wife Claire, his children David and Monica and their spouses and children. Memorials were made to the American Diabetes Association, the MDA/ALS Regional Association in Madison, and the Pulver/Shaffer Community Development Award Fund at the University of Wisconsin Foundation.

Pictured above: "Shaf's Team" - friends and family of Ron's who
participated in the MDA/ALS Walk each spring in Madison.
The Wisconsin Rural Partners subset raised $1,300 in 2004.

"I simply couldn't start this workweek without this brief acknowledgment of his passing, a sad but unburdening passing for all. In this very difficult time in both policy and practice for rural communities, our greatest tribute to Ron would be a redoubling of our efforts to those causes and concerns which defined Ron's life, and were exemplified in the values and humanity he brought to this struggle. As we all know, his lifetime contributions to both discipline and practice were immense. The Greeks asked, with the passing of a colleague, "Did he have passion?" For Ron we would offer a resounding "Yes!" -
Charles W. Fluharty, director, Rural Policy Research Institute, Columbia, MO (and keynote speaker at the first Wisconsin Rural Summit)

"A colleague and mentor to many, Dr. Ron Shaffer died early this month, succumbing to Lou Gehrig’s (ALS) disease. He was a professor and researcher at the University of Wisconsin and many of you in the agricultural, community and economic development field either trained with Dr. Shaffer or knew of his seminal work in community-based economic development. He was one of the innovators who helped start the National Rural Development Partnership back in the late 1980s. He was a colleague of mine in the Community Development Society. Many will carry on his work and we must do so, in his honor and for the good of our society." -
Jane Leonard, president, Minnesota Rural Partners