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32 | SignatureMT Science and then a master's degree in Agriculture—Integrated Resource Management. ese credentials landed her the Coun- ty Extension Agent position in Judith Basin County. is job gave her experience in communicating in both small and large groups. She enjoyed her work so immensely that she turned down the first offer for a job with Hodgskiss Seed. Six months later when the owner called again, she accepted the offer. at's when she started learning in depth about seed and crop diseases. In the beginning, she had the responsibility of writing reports, and when customers came in, she could tell that they thought she was there to answer the telephone or do the cleaning. As she gained knowledge and became acquainted with the customers, she took on the responsibilities of sales, market- ing, writing contracts with farmers, and also writing the reports. e Hodgskiss brothers included her when they checked on farmers' fields to determine what might be problems with crop growth. In time she was able to do it herself. At a recent exten- sion service meeting on chickpeas at Fort Benton and Conrad, Cook was a featured speaker, and farmers had many questions that they knew she could answer. "My employers are farmers themselves, and they know what farmers need. I set about developing my knowledge and relation- ship with farmers so they would also trust my recommendations." As a woman, Cook feels that she puts the customer first, pays aention to detail, multi-tasks, and uses good organization- al skills. "I realize that agriculture is a tough business on a good day, and people are trying to live out a good life by working on the land. I respect that," said Cook. Today, when customers stop at Hodgskiss Seed, they are as likely to be looking for Cook as for any of the other personnel. Cook feels comfortable working in a man's world, and it is obvious that farmers look to her expertise as a means for geing on with their work. The CEO with Farmers Union Insurance A Havre native, Kerri Bekker aended Montana State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree with an Kerri Bekker is the first female President/CEO of the Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Company in its hundred-year history. Photo by Suzanne Waring. Napa Auto Parts Great Falls 601 6th ST SW Unit 1 Great Falls, MT • 406-453-6517 (Check out our other locations in Stanford and Shelby) Monday-Friday 7am-7pm Saturday 8am-7pm • Sunday 10am-5pm NATIONALLY KNOWN, LOCALLY OWNED www.napaonline.com Landscaping Hardscaping Sprinklers Fertilization 1707 33rd Ave NE, Great Falls, MT greenuplawnandsprinklers.com 406-452-6146 BUILDING & MAINTAINING ALL OF YOUR LANDSCAPE NEEDS