Maury Wills
Bureau chief, Agricultural Diversification and Market Development Bureau
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

Address: 502 E. Ninth Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
Daytime phone: (515) 281-5783
Email: maury.wills@idals.state.ia.us

Brief biography: He was appointed to the Leopold Center Advisory Board in 2007 to represent the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). For the past 10 years, Wills has helped develop the IDALS organic program and now administers organic certification throughout the state. He is past president and current board member of the National Association of State Organic Programs.

Wills and his family own and operate a certified organic apple orchard near Adel in rural Dallas County. They own about 60 acres, planting the first trees in 1992. They have expanded their orchard business to include on-farm processing of organic apple products and agritourism activities such as U-pick pumpkins, hay rack rides, group events and tours.

A beekeeper, Wills also oversees the state's apiary registration and inspection programs for IDALS and the Farm to School program. He is a board member of the Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.

He has an undergraduate degree in social work from Iowa State University and a master's in counseling from Drake University.