Risinger Green Recently Presented With Award Of Merit

A former Neligh newspaper reporter was recently honored for her achievements in the advancement of agriculture. 

Susan Risinger Green was presented the Award of Merit at the Eighth Annual AG-ceptional Women’s Conference recently at Northeast Community College. She was surprised with the honor by conference organizers.

Risinger Green joined Northeast Community College earlier this year to serve as the campaign coordinator for the proposed Agriculture and Water Center of Excellence. She previously was with WJAG, Lite Rock 97.5 and 106KIX Radio in Norfolk for more than 26-years, where she served as assistant news director and farm director. 

She began her career as a newspaper reporter in Neligh, where she spent eight years before joining WJAG.
Corrine Morris, dean of agriculture, math and science at Northeast and conference director, said Risinger-Green exemplifies the agricultural lifestyle; honest, hardworking, and humble.

“Susan was raised on a farm, her roots in ag go deep, but her passion was observing others, lucky for us. Susan was equally keen on global news, federal and state government and thankfully ag, which led to her association to many (ag) related local events, such as the Northeast Nebraska Farm and Equipment show and the Ag- Ceptional Women’s Conference.”

Morris said while Risinger-Green’s contributions in radio have been recognized by many, it was her
day-to-day work that was appreciated by those close to her. 

“A reputation for accuracy and long term professional associations with key leaders at the state and local level have strengthened her role in the future of agriculture in northeast Nebraska. Susan’s field of work is not surrounded by fences; her field is our field. She has educated and advocated for agriculture for more than 26 years and continues today.”

During her time in the radio industry, Risinger Green hosted a variety of talk shows, including the long-running Voice of the People. She has been recognized for her work, including the 2007 Oscar in Agriculture for a series on the hydroponic tomato operation in O’Neill, and a regional Edward R. Murrow award in 2015 for a series on suicide in northeast Nebraska. 

She also received the Profitable Agriculture Through Conservation Technology (PACT) Award and numerous Nebraska Associated Press, Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Northwest Broadcast News Association awards for agricultural reporting and programming.

Risinger Green has been a member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting for 25 years, and is a past president of the Nebraska Associated Press Broadcasters Association. She has been honored by the Nebraska Forestry Service, Nebraska Agri-Business Association, the Nebraska State Patrol and twice by University of Nebraska Extension.

In Risinger Green’s new position at Northeast, she is continuing to work to make an impact in the advancement of agriculture through the Agriculture and Water Center of Excellence at Northeast Community College. The proposed center calls for not only expanding programs, but also constructing ag facilities, with many built around the current 45,000-square-foot Chuck M. Pohlman Agriculture Complex on the far east side of the college’s nearly 800-acre main Norfolk campus. 

Morris said, “The expansion of programs and the addition of facilities through the center for excellence will improve learning opportunities for both students and area producers and, in turn, help sustain and grow Nebraska’s rural population as it seeks new and innovative ways to feed the world.”

Approximately 340 students are enrolled in Northeast’s agriculture and agriculture related programs. The Agriculture, Math and Science Division reports that 141 of the students are females. 

​This year’s AG-ceptional Women’s Conference, held in the Lifelong Learning Center on Northeast’s campus in Norfolk, was again sold out as over 400 women registered to attend.