Des Moines, IA (KICD)– A leader in the agriculture community both locally and at the national level has died.

Originally from Spirit Lake, Bill Northey served as the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture from 2007 to 2018 before moving on to serve in the Trump Administration as the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation at the U.S. Department of Agriculture until 2021.

In 2022, Northey was recognized with an Iowa Ag Leader Award for his distinguished service to Iowa Agriculture and was also named the CEO of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa.

Current Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig released a statement Monday afternoon saying Northey had a “tremendously positive impact on our state and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship , but his influence went well beyond our borders”.

Northey passed away Monday at the age of 64. Arrangements are currently pending.

Governor Kim Reynolds has ordered all flags in Iowa be lowered to half-staff until sunset on the day of Northey’s funeral and burial.